The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. Simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description to register.

Rockets 2 Racecars: Session 4 — Educators Go Green
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-9Event Date: July 30, 2015, at 4 p.m. EDT
Get your students revved up about science, technology, engineering and mathematics with NASA’s Rockets 2 Racecars STEM Education webinar series! In this webinar, participants will have access to various solar and engineering activities for the classroom and will discover various solar energy uses in space as well as on planet Earth. Join NASA specialists to discuss how NASA uses the power of the sun in its missions, such as the International Space Station and Mars Exploration Rovers, as well as how Pocono Raceway uses solar energy at the Pocono Raceway track! Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/133233

Exploring Ice in the Solar System
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-5Event Date: Aug. 3, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
In this webinar, participants will explore a multitude of activities from the Messenger mission education module highlighting the importance of ice in comparative planetology. Classroom adaptations and accommodations also will be discussed. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/134532

Engineering Enables Science Series: Robotics in the Classroom
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date: Aug. 4, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Simple materials make for interesting robotic creations! This presentation will explore how we use robotics today and what our future may hold. Engineering meets science as participants take a look at many career choices and classroom activities. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/130709

Engineering Enables Science Series: Exploring NASA Engineering Design Challenges
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-12Event Date: Aug. 6, 2015, at 6 p.m. EDT
Engineering design is a common topic across each grade level in the Next Generation Science Standards and an important concept in understanding our world around us. Explore a variety of NASA engineering design challenges that can be integrated into physics, life science and mathematics curriculum. These challenges can guide your students on a standards-based, educational journey into the real world of engineering. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/135187

Visit NASA Education at Thursday Night on the Square Events in Palmdale, California

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center’s Office of Education and its partner the AERO Institute are taking part in the weekly summertime Thursday Night on the Square activities sponsored by the City of Palmdale, California.

Located adjacent to the AERO Institute buildings in the Palmdale Civic Center, Thursday Night on the Square is an eight-week series of outdoor festivals involving entertainment, arts and crafts, special presentations, and informal education activities. Each week focuses on a different theme. This year’s series began on June 25 and concludes Aug. 13.

The NASA Armstrong Aerospace Education Gallery will be open for the public, and visitors will have the opportunity to visit various exhibits on display in the Gallery. An educational presentation and hands-on activities will be conducted in the Educator Resource Center, also located at the AERO Institute. Teacher packs will be available to educators and handouts to the public to give them additional information on the hands-on activity and the presentation they viewed.

The National Air and Space Museum’s Family Day event series celebrates the diverse ethnic and cultural communities that have contributed to aviation and space exploration. Events will commemorate historic and current contributions through presentations and activities for the entire family. The events are free and open to the public.

We Share STEM! Connecting Across Cultures
Aug. 1, 2015, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia
Learn about the contributions of scientists and engineers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics professions across cultures. Meet scientists and engineers who are active in STEM fields such as robotics, aerospace design and aviation, and develop your own skills through hands-on activities.http://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=16818

Milestones in Aviation and Space
Aug. 8, 2015, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, District of Columbia
Explore how aviation and space exploration have changed the world! Celebrate the amazing accomplishments in aviation and aerospace, from jets making Hawaii a more accessible vacation destination to the CST-100 taking astronauts into space.http://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=16881Please direct questions about this series of events to the Visitor Service line at 202-633-2214.

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is offering tours that take visitors behind the scenes and inside certain research facilities. Glenn scientists and engineers serve as guides. Tours will be offered each month through October 2015. Tours are free of charge for groups and individuals on an advance reservation basis. Visitor parking is also available free of charge.

A tour bus departs from Glenn’s main gate every hour beginning at 10 a.m. The last tour departs at 1 p.m. Each tour lasts about 45 minutes and is followed by a stop at Glenn’s Gift Shop.

Glenn’s 2015 Tour Schedule

Aug. 1, 2015 — See Things a Different Way: Check out Glenn’s Graphics and Visualization, or GVIS, and the Reconfigurable User-interface and Virtual Reality Exploration, or GRUVE, Laboratories. The GVIS Lab uses advanced computer input and output devices paired with a variety of natural user interface devices and 3-D displays. The GRUVE lab is used to analyze data obtained either by computer simulation or from research test facilities.

Sept. 12, 2015 — Go to the Extreme: Join us on a tour through Glenn’s Extreme Environments Rig, or GEER. As NASA ventures through the solar system and beyond, spacecraft will experience hostile environments of Venus and other planetary bodies. Temperatures can reach hundreds of degrees. Air pressure is crushing, and the toxic atmosphere is thick. GEER is designed to simulate those temperatures and pressure extremes and accurately reproduce the atmospheric compositions of bodies in the solar system. GEER is currently in its commissioning phase for operations simulating Venus’ surface temperature, pressure and chemistry.

Oct. 3, 2015 — Explore Locomotion on Planets: Come explore the Simulated Lunar Operations facility, which is home to a 60-foot-long, 20-foot-wide sandpit filled with simulated lunar soil and a lunar rover test bed. Other areas simulate Martian soil conditions. Research in this facility will help NASA develop the components of rovers capable of traveling long distances and investigating planetary surfaces during future human and robotic missions to keep NASA’s journey to Mars moving forward.

NASA and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Foundation are challenging K-12 students to create a model of a container for space using 3-D modeling software. Astronauts need containers of all kinds — from advanced containers for studying fruit flies to simple containers for collecting Mars rocks or storing an astronaut’s food. The ability to 3-D print containers in space — on demand — will let humans venture farther into space. That’s why we are challenging students to start designing for space now.

Design entries could be for a container designed for microgravity on the International Space Station or a container designed for future astronauts on Mars! Space is a big place, but your imagination is even bigger. Multiple prizes, based on age groups, are available.

Entries must be submitted by Aug. 2, 2015.

The Design a Space Tool Challenge is the second in a series of challenges where students in grades K-12 create and submit a digital 3-D model of a container that they think astronauts might need in space. Future Engineers is a multiyear education initiative that consists of 3-D space challenges and curriculum videos that parents and educators can use to get kids designing today.

NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.

“Where Over the World Is Astronaut Scott Kelly?” Geography From Space Trivia Contest

During his year-long stay on the International Space Station, astronaut Scott Kelly wants to test your knowledge of the world through a geography trivia game on Twitter. Traveling more than 220 miles above Earth, and at 17,500 miles per hour, he circumnavigates the globe more than a dozen times a day. This gives Kelly the opportunity to see and photograph various geographical locations on Earth. In fact, part of his job while in space is to capture images of Earth for scientific observations.

Follow @StationCDRKelly on Twitter. Each Wednesday, Kelly will tweet a picture and ask the public to identify the place depicted in the photo. The first person to identify the place correctly will win an autographed copy of the picture. Kelly plans to continue posting weekly contest photos until he returns from the space station in March 2016.

NASA and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, or UNOOSA, have launched a global photography competition to highlight how the vantage point of space helps us better understand our home planet, improve lives, and safeguard our future by aiding sustainable development on Earth.

To highlight the role of space-based science and technologies and their applications on Earth, NASA and UNOOSA are inviting the public to submit photos depicting why space matters to us all in our daily lives. To participate, post a picture and description on Instagram using the hashtag #whyspacematters and tagging @UNOOSA.

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who is three months into a one-year mission aboard the International Space Station, will announce the winning photo each month by posting it from his Instagram account @StationCDRKelly.

On March 6, 2015, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft began orbiting Ceres, the largest body in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Even before the spacecraft arrived at the dwarf planet, images revealed mysterious bright spots that captivated scientists and observers alike.

Can you guess what’s creating those unusual bright spots on Ceres? Until Dawn gets a closer look over the next few months, it’s anyone’s guess what those spots could be.

Free ‘Ask an Expert’ Series Presented by Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum

Join the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum for a series of “Ask an Expert” events. Each 15-minute discussion is presented by a member of the museum staff. Upcoming space-related discussions include:

Robert Goddard’s RocketsAug. 13, 2015, at 12:30 p.m. EDThttp://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=16556
Join Dr. Michael Neufeld at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, for a 15-minute discussion about rocket pioneer Robert Goddard. Neufeld joined the museum in 1988 and is a senior curator in the Division of Space History. Meet at the nose of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird in the Boeing Aviation Hangar.

The Space Launch System, or SLS, Liquid Engines Office is conducting a series of tests for its RS-25 engine. The seven-test series began in January 2015 and will conclude in September 2015. On Aug. 13, 2015, at 4:30 p.m. EDT, a 550-second test will be conducted at Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

The seven-test series will provide critical data on the new engine controller unit and will show how the RS-25 will perform. New ablative insulation and heaters also will be tested during the series.

NASA’s SLS will help send humans to deep space destinations like an asteroid and Mars. SLS is an advanced, heavy-lift launch vehicle that will provide an entirely new capability for science and human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit. The SLS will give the nation a means to reach beyond our current limits and open new doors of discovery from the unique vantage point of space.

The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, share the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.

Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures are also streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.

The next lecture in the series is:

Drought: Are We In or Out?
Event Date: Aug. 13 and Aug. 14, 2015, at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2015&month=8
Entering its fourth year of below-normal rainfall and snowpack, California faces its most severe drought emergency in decades. Join Dr. William Patzert, Climatologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for a discussion about how the drought developed and how we deal with future droughts.

NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement, or GPM, mission is looking for a small cadre of “GPM Master Teachers” to help develop and pilot science, technology, engineering and mathematics lessons to be used with elementary, middle and high school audiences.

Selected teachers will earn a stipend for their participation, which will run from Sept. 1, 2015, through June 30, 2016. All training and participation will take place online. It is anticipated that teachers will spend approximately 10 hours per month working on this collaborative project.

This competitive opportunity is open to elementary, middle and high school teachers. GPM is seeking “master” teachers (those who have successfully taught for at least five years and who have demonstrated the ability to collaborate in professional learning communities within their school district and/or at the state/national level).

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission began orbiting Mars on Sept. 21, 2014. MAVEN will explore the planet′s upper atmosphere, ionosphere and interactions with the solar wind. The mission will provide invaluable insights into the history of Mars′ atmosphere, climate, liquid water and planetary habitability.

Join the MAVEN education team for a one-day workshop on the MAVEN mission and the accompanying elementary program, “Red Planet: Read, Write, Explore!” This program features six standards-based lessons that combine science, literacy and art to help students understand planetary habitability and the MAVEN mission. The workshop will introduce participants to these lessons and concepts. The workshop will have a session devoted to Spanish-speaking English Language Learner and English as a Second Language students. Attendees will receive free classroom materials.

This workshop will be offered twice this fall! The first will take place at the Space Foundation Discovery Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Sept. 12, 2015. The second will be held at the World Forestry Center Museum in Portland, Oregon, on Sept. 19, 2015.

Registration is $15 and includes a continental breakfast and lunch. Participants may bring one guest for no additional charge. Space is limited, so interested educators are encouraged to apply early.

On Sept. 19, 2015, the whole world has the chance to admire and celebrate our moon on International Observe the Moon Night. And you can join in the fun!

Check the map of registered observation events at http://observethemoonnight.org to see if an event is being held near you. If not, please consider registering and hosting one and inviting your community.

Are you worried about cloudy weather obscuring your view of the moon?The “Moon as Art” collection, chosen by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, team, gives the public the opportunity to see the moon as others have seen it for centuries — as an inspirational muse. But this time, also see the moon from the perspective of being in orbit with a series of eyes that see different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Learn more at http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/moonartgallery.html.

Additional beautiful, high-resolution images of the moon’s surface taken by LRO’s cameras are available at http://lroc.sese.asu.edu.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Lora.V.Bleacher@nasa.gov.
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NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.

Sept. 26-27, 2015 — University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Milwaukee, WisconsinCAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop for Current and Future Astronomy and Space Science Instructors

Visit NASA Education at Thursday Night on the Square Events in Palmdale, California

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center’s Office of Education and its partner the AERO Institute are taking part in the weekly summertime Thursday Night on the Square activities sponsored by the City of Palmdale, California.

Located adjacent to the AERO Institute buildings in the Palmdale Civic Center, Thursday Night on the Square is an eight-week series of outdoor festivals involving entertainment, arts and crafts, special presentations, and informal education activities. Each week focuses on a different theme. This year’s series began on June 25 and concludes Aug. 13.

The NASA Armstrong Aerospace Education Gallery will be open for the public, and visitors will have the opportunity to visit various exhibits on display in the Gallery. An educational presentation and hands-on activities will be conducted in the Educator Resource Center, also located at the AERO Institute. Teacher packs will be available to educators and handouts to the public to give them additional information on the hands-on activity and the presentation they viewed.

The National AeroSpace Training and Research, or NASTAR, Center is hosting a series of teacher professional development programs throughout the month of July. Here’s your chance to experience acceleration in a centrifuge, pilot an airplane simulator, or explore the gas laws in an altitude chamber. Each one-day workshop is worth eight hours of continuing education.

The NASTAR Center is located in Southampton, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Philadelphia. The center is an Affiliate Member of the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium. Funding from the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium supports these programs, so they are offered at no cost to teachers.

The National Air and Space Museum’s Family Day event series celebrates the diverse ethnic and cultural communities that have contributed to aviation and space exploration. Events will commemorate historic and current contributions through presentations and activities for the entire family. The events are free and open to the public.

Mars Day! 2015
July 24, 2015, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, District of Columbia
Mars Day! is an annual event at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum that celebrates the Red Planet with educational and fun family activities. Visitors can talk to scientists active in Mars research and learn about current and future missions. Participants can take part in hands-on educational activities about the geology of Mars and more.http://airandspace.si.edu/events/marsday/

We Share STEM! Connecting Across Cultures Aug. 1, 2015, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. EDT National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia
Learn about the contributions of scientists and engineers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics professions across cultures. Meet scientists and engineers who are active in STEM fields such as robotics, aerospace design and aviation, and develop your own skills through hands-on activities.http://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=16818

Milestones in Aviation and Space
Aug. 8, 2015, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, District of Columbia
Explore how aviation and space exploration have changed the world! Celebrate the amazing accomplishments in aviation and aerospace, from jets making Hawaii a more accessible vacation destination to the CST-100 taking astronauts into space.http://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=16881Please direct questions about this series of events to the Visitor Service line at 202-633-2214.

On March 6, 2015, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft began orbiting Ceres, the largest body in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Even before the spacecraft arrived at the dwarf planet, images revealed mysterious bright spots that captivated scientists and observers alike.

Can you guess what’s creating those unusual bright spots on Ceres? Until Dawn gets a closer look over the next few months, it’s anyone’s guess what those spots could be.

The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. Simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description to register.

Exploring Strange New Worlds Series: Exoplanets and Kepler Mission
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-8Event Date: July 27, 2015, at 4 p.m. EDT
The centuries-old quest for other worlds like Earth has been rejuvenated by the intense excitement and popular interest surrounding the discovery of hundreds of planets orbiting other stars. There is now clear evidence for substantial numbers of the three types of exoplanets: gas giants, hot super-Earths in short period orbits, and ice giants. During this webinar, participants will learn to use tools scientists use to determine planet characteristics, learn about the Kepler mission, and explore and interpret data from the mission. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/133574

ISS Across the Curriculum: Social Studies and Geography in Space
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-8Event Date: July 28, 2015, at 6 p.m. EDT
The International Space Station is not just a science and mathematics mission. It is a unique, orbiting laboratory that travels around the world and across your curriculum. This webinar will explore how the space station can be integrated into your social studies and geography curriculum with NASA inquiry lessons, online resources and teaching strategies. Let the space station bring space and the world around us together in your classroom. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/129777

Art and the Cosmic ConnectionAudience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12Event Date: July 29, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Geology meets art! Let you inner geologist use art to recreate craters, mountains, rivers, wind-driven landscapes and more. Learn to read planetary images as well as Earth images. Activities shared here meet Next-Generation Science Standards for Earth’s Place in the Universe, Earth Systems, and Social Studies Integrations. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/134190

Rockets 2 Racecars: Session 4 — Educators Go Green
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-9Event Date: July 30, 2015, at 4 p.m. EDT
Get your students revved up about science, technology, engineering and mathematics with NASA’s Rockets 2 Racecars STEM Education webinar series! In this webinar, participants will have access to various solar and engineering activities for the classroom and will discover various solar energy uses in space as well as on planet Earth. Join NASA specialists to discuss how NASA uses the power of the sun in its missions, such as the International Space Station and Mars Exploration Rovers, as well as how Pocono Raceway uses solar energy at the Pocono Raceway track! Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/133233

Exploring Ice in the Solar System
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-5Event Date: Aug. 3, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
In this webinar, participants will explore a multitude of activities from the Messenger mission education module highlighting the importance of ice in comparative planetology. Classroom adaptations and accommodations also will be discussed. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/134532

Engineering Enables Science Series: Robotics in the Classroom
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date: Aug. 4, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Simple materials make for interesting robotic creations! This presentation will explore how we use robotics today and what our future may hold. Engineering meets science as participants take a look at many career choices and classroom activities. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/130709

Engineering Enables Science Series: Exploring NASA Engineering Design Challenges
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-12Event Date: Aug. 6, 2015, at 6 p.m. EDT
Engineering design is a common topic across each grade level in the Next Generation Science Standards and an important concept in understanding our world around us. Explore a variety of NASA engineering design challenges that can be integrated into physics, life science and mathematics curriculum. These challenges can guide your students on a standards-based, educational journey into the real world of engineering. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/135187

“Where Over the World Is Astronaut Scott Kelly?” Geography From Space Trivia Contest

During his year-long stay on the International Space Station, astronaut Scott Kelly wants to test your knowledge of the world through a geography trivia game on Twitter. Traveling more than 220 miles above Earth, and at 17,500 miles per hour, he circumnavigates the globe more than a dozen times a day. This gives Kelly the opportunity to see and photograph various geographical locations on Earth. In fact, part of his job while in space is to capture images of Earth for scientific observations.

Follow @StationCDRKelly on Twitter. Each Wednesday, Kelly will tweet a picture and ask the public to identify the place depicted in the photo. The first person to identify the place correctly will win an autographed copy of the picture. Kelly plans to continue posting weekly contest photos until he returns from the space station in March 2016.

The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities is hosting a webinar to educate HBCUs on the grants and opportunities available to them through NASA. The hourlong webinar will take place July 30, 2015, at 10:30 a.m. EDT.

This webinar will feature a presentation by NASA highlighting the agency’s funding opportunities for HBCUs. Representatives from the HBCU community are invited and encouraged to view the webinar live and ask questions.

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is offering tours that take visitors behind the scenes and inside certain research facilities. Glenn scientists and engineers serve as guides. Tours will be offered each month through October 2015. Tours are free of charge for groups and individuals on an advance reservation basis. Visitor parking is also available free of charge.

A tour bus departs from Glenn’s main gate every hour beginning at 10 a.m. The last tour departs at 1 p.m. Each tour lasts about 45 minutes and is followed by a stop at Glenn’s Gift Shop.

Glenn’s 2015 Tour Schedule

Aug. 1, 2015 — See Things a Different Way: Check out Glenn’s Graphics and Visualization, or GVIS, and the Reconfigurable User-interface and Virtual Reality Exploration, or GRUVE, Laboratories. The GVIS Lab uses advanced computer input and output devices paired with a variety of natural user interface devices and 3-D displays. The GRUVE lab is used to analyze data obtained either by computer simulation or from research test facilities.

Sept. 12, 2015 — Go to the Extreme: Join us on a tour through Glenn’s Extreme Environments Rig, or GEER. As NASA ventures through the solar system and beyond, spacecraft will experience hostile environments of Venus and other planetary bodies. Temperatures can reach hundreds of degrees. Air pressure is crushing, and the toxic atmosphere is thick. GEER is designed to simulate those temperatures and pressure extremes and accurately reproduce the atmospheric compositions of bodies in the solar system. GEER is currently in its commissioning phase for operations simulating Venus’ surface temperature, pressure and chemistry.

Oct. 3, 2015 — Explore Locomotion on Planets: Come explore the Simulated Lunar Operations facility, which is home to a 60-foot-long, 20-foot-wide sandpit filled with simulated lunar soil and a lunar rover test bed. Other areas simulate Martian soil conditions. Research in this facility will help NASA develop the components of rovers capable of traveling long distances and investigating planetary surfaces during future human and robotic missions to keep NASA’s journey to Mars moving forward.

NASA and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Foundation are challenging K-12 students to create a model of a container for space using 3-D modeling software. Astronauts need containers of all kinds — from advanced containers for studying fruit flies to simple containers for collecting Mars rocks or storing an astronaut’s food. The ability to 3-D print containers in space — on demand — will let humans venture farther into space. That’s why we are challenging students to start designing for space now.

Design entries could be for a container designed for microgravity on the International Space Station or a container designed for future astronauts on Mars! Space is a big place, but your imagination is even bigger. Multiple prizes, based on age groups, are available.

Entries must be submitted by Aug. 2, 2015.

The Design a Space Tool Challenge is the second in a series of challenges where students in grades K-12 create and submit a digital 3-D model of a container that they think astronauts might need in space. Future Engineers is a multiyear education initiative that consists of 3-D space challenges and curriculum videos that parents and educators can use to get kids designing today.

NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Stewards Education Project is hosting a free climate-science workshop for formal and informal educators on Aug. 5, 2015, at the NOAA Science Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Participants will hear from and interact with climate science, education and communication experts.

The workshop will focus on an introduction to global climate models exploring the subject of climate change in the same way that research scientists do. Simulations and activities for modeling regional and/or topical impacts of climate change will be shared with a goal of connecting educators and their students/audiences to the best-available, science-based information and resources about climate change.

Attendance is limited and availability will be on a first come, first serve basis, so register early. Participation is free, but attendees are responsible for arranging their own transportation, lodging and meals unless otherwise indicated in workshop details.

All attendees will receive a certificate acknowledging their participation in the workshop as well as the number of professional development hours they have engaged in.

NASA and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, or UNOOSA, have launched a global photography competition to highlight how the vantage point of space helps us better understand our home planet, improve lives, and safeguard our future by aiding sustainable development on Earth.

To highlight the role of space-based science and technologies and their applications on Earth, NASA and UNOOSA are inviting the public to submit photos depicting why space matters to us all in our daily lives. To participate, post a picture and description on Instagram using the hashtag #whyspacematters and tagging @UNOOSA.

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who is three months into a one-year mission aboard the International Space Station, will announce the winning photo each month by posting it from his Instagram account @StationCDRKelly.

Free ‘Ask an Expert’ Series Presented by Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum

Join the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum for a series of “Ask an Expert” events. Each 15-minute discussion is presented by a member of the museum staff. Upcoming space-related discussions include:

Robert Goddard’s RocketsAug. 13, 2015, at 12:30 p.m. EDThttp://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=16556
Join Dr. Michael Neufeld at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, for a 15-minute discussion about rocket pioneer Robert Goddard. Neufeld joined the museum in 1988 and is a senior curator in the Division of Space History. Meet at the nose of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird in the Boeing Aviation Hangar.

The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, share the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.

Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures are also streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.

The next lecture in the series is:

Drought: Are We In or Out?
Event Date: Aug. 13 and Aug. 14, 2015, at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2015&month=8
Entering its fourth year of below-normal rainfall and snowpack, California faces its most severe drought emergency in decades. Join Dr. William Patzert, Climatologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for a discussion about how the drought developed and how we deal with future droughts.

On Sept. 19, 2015, the whole world has the chance to admire and celebrate our moon on International Observe the Moon Night. And you can join in the fun!

Check the map of registered observation events at http://observethemoonnight.org to see if an event is being held near you. If not, please consider registering and hosting one and inviting your community.

Are you worried about cloudy weather obscuring your view of the moon?The “Moon as Art” collection, chosen by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, team, gives the public the opportunity to see the moon as others have seen it for centuries — as an inspirational muse. But this time, also see the moon from the perspective of being in orbit with a series of eyes that see different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Learn more at http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/moonartgallery.html.

Additional beautiful, high-resolution images of the moon’s surface taken by LRO’s cameras are available at http://lroc.sese.asu.edu.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Lora.V.Bleacher@nasa.gov.
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NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.

Sept. 26-27, 2015 — University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Milwaukee, WisconsinCAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop for Current and Future Astronomy and Space Science Instructors

Join educators and space enthusiasts around the world to celebrate World Space Week, Oct. 4-10, 2015. This international event commemorates the beginning of the Space Age with the launch of Sputnik 1 on Oct. 4, 1957.

World Space Week is the largest public space event in the world, with celebrations in more than 60 nations. During World Space Week, teachers are encouraged to use space-themed activities.

The American Geosciences Institute is sponsoring a series of contests to celebrate Earth Science Week 2015. This year’s celebration takes place Oct. 11-17, 2015.

Earth Science Week 2015 Photography Contest — Open to All Ageshttp://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/photography/index.html
Geoscientists study our planet’s geosphere (land), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), and biosphere (living things). These spheres — or Earth systems — continually affect and influence one another. With a camera, you can capture evidence of the dynamic impact of change processes in your home, neighborhood, school, workplace or local public spaces. In a photo, show at least one Earth system affecting another Earth system in your community.

Earth Science Week 2015 Visual Arts Contest — Open to Students in Grades K-5http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/visualarts/index.html
Earth science is the study of Earth systems — land, water, air and living things. Scientists pay special attention to the ways these things affect each other, such as the way wind shapes the landscape or falling rain nourishes plants. Use artwork to show how land, water, air and living things interact in the world around you.

Earth Science Week 2015 Essay Contest — Open to Students in Grades 6-9http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/essay/index.html
Since the earliest hand-drawn maps and diagrams, “visualization” has been an important way of explaining and understanding the interactions of land, water, air and living things. Earth scientists today use more sophisticated technology to monitor and represent these Earth systems — the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. In an original essay no more than 300 words in length, explain one way that geoscientists’ use of cutting-edge visualization is advancing Earth science today.

The entry deadline for all three contests is Oct. 16, 2015. Visit the contest websites for full details.

If you have any questions about these contests, please email the Earth Science Week staff at info@earthsciweek.org.

The NASA Postdoctoral Program, or NPP, supports NASA’s goal to expand scientific understanding of the Earth and the universe in which we live.

Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP fellows complete one- to three-year fellowships that offer scientists and engineers unique opportunities to conduct research in fields of science relevant to NASA.

As a result, NPP fellows contribute to national priorities for scientific exploration, confirm NASA’s leadership in fundamental research and complement the efforts of NASA’s partners in the national science community.

U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and foreign nationals eligible for J-1 status as a research scholar may apply. Applicants must have completed a doctorate or equivalent degree before beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing degree requirements. Applicants who earned the Ph.D. more than five years before the deadline date are categorized as senior fellows; all applicants, no matter their category, must apply and become eligible for an NPP award via the same process.

Interested applicants may apply by one of three annual application deadlines: March 1, July 1 and November 1.

Advanced High-Power Paper Rockets – Grades 3-12
Students select a flight mission (what they want the rocket to do) and design and construct a high-power paper rocket that will achieve the mission. They construct their rocket, predict its performance, fly the rocket, and file a post-flight mission report. Missions include achieving high-altitude records, landing on a “planetary” target, carrying payloads, testing a rocket recovery system, and more.http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Advanced_High_Power_Paper_Rockets.html

Looking for more resources? NASA’s new Educational Resource Search Tool can help you find lesson plans, posters, educator guides and other materials to supplement your science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum. Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keywords.

The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. Simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description to register.

Eating Math and Science With Servings of Space Food and NutritionAudience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-12Event Date: July 16, 2015, at 6 p.m. EDT
Eat your way through math and science. This webinar will explore NASA STEM curriculum designed to investigate space food and nutrition for astronauts. Participants will investigate NASA resources related to the caloric content and nutritional value of space foods and the nutritional needs of astronauts. Using these resources, learn how to construct sample space food menus as a way of better understanding space food and nutrition for human space exploration. Come explore a menu of inquiry activities and other resources integrating this exciting topic and satisfy your STEM appetite. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/133862

Exploring Strange New Worlds Series: Blue Marble Matches
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-12Event Date: July 20, 2015, at 9 a.m. EDT
Explore how scientists and engineers work together to gather and interpret data from satellites that are exploring the solar system. In this webinar, participants will identify common geologic characteristics to describe planetary features in images; identify geologic features and how they form on Earth; create a list of criteria to identify geologic features; and identify geologic features in images of other planetary bodies. Learn how documenting observations and interpretations can help researchers draw conclusions about processes that shape the surface of other planetary bodies. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/133527

Exploring Strange New Worlds Series: Discovering a New PlanetAudience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-8Event Date: July 21, 2015, at Noon EDT
Explore what it’s like to discover a new planet. With the integration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, participants will learn how to discover new features on a planet. This webinar for educators of grades K-8 will highlight remote-sensing techniques and the New Horizons mission to Pluto. The webinar also will address Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core mathematics skills. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/134341

Rockets 2 Racecars: Session 3 — Train Like an AstronautAudience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-9Event Date: July 22, 2015, at 4 p.m. EDT
Get your students revved up about science, technology, engineering and mathematics with NASA’s Rockets 2 Racecars (R2R) STEM Education webinar series! Participants will increase their understanding of the science of racing and forces and motion of flight through hands-on activities aligned with national and state standards. During this webinar, teachers will discover correlations between stock car drivers and astronauts. These correlations include muscle strength and endurance, reaction time, and effects to the brain when exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide. These webinars are independent sessions, and participation in other sessions is not required. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/133119

Exploring Strange New Worlds Series: Exoplanets and Kepler Mission
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-8Event Date: July 27, 2015, at 4 p.m. EDT
The centuries-old quest for other worlds like Earth has been rejuvenated by the intense excitement and popular interest surrounding the discovery of hundreds of planets orbiting other stars. There is now clear evidence for substantial numbers of the three types of exoplanets: gas giants, hot super-Earths in short period orbits, and ice giants. During this webinar, participants will learn to use tools scientists use to determine planet characteristics, learn about the Kepler mission, and explore and interpret data from the mission. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/133574

ISS Across the Curriculum: Social Studies and Geography in Space
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-8Event Date: July 28, 2015, at 6 p.m. EDT
The International Space Station is not just a science and mathematics mission. It is a unique, orbiting laboratory that travels around the world and across your curriculum. This webinar will explore how the space station can be integrated into your social studies and geography curriculum with NASA inquiry lessons, online resources and teaching strategies. Let the space station bring space and the world around us together in your classroom. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/129777

Art and the Cosmic ConnectionAudience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12Event Date: July 29, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Geology meets art! Let you inner geologist use art to recreate craters, mountains, rivers, wind-driven landscapes and more. Learn to read planetary images as well as Earth images. Activities shared here meet Next-Generation Science Standards for Earth’s Place in the Universe, Earth Systems, and Social Studies Integrations. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/134190

Rockets 2 Racecars: Session 4 — Educators Go Green
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-9Event Date: July 30, 2015, at 4 p.m. EDT
Get your students revved up about science, technology, engineering and mathematics with NASA’s Rockets 2 Racecars STEM Education webinar series! In this webinar, participants will have access to various solar and engineering activities for the classroom and will discover various solar energy uses in space as well as on planet Earth. Join NASA specialists to discuss how NASA uses the power of the sun in its missions, such as the International Space Station and Mars Exploration Rovers, as well as how Pocono Raceway uses solar energy at the Pocono Raceway track! Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/133233

Visit NASA Education at Thursday Night on the Square Events in Palmdale, California

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center’s Office of Education and its partner the AERO Institute are taking part in the weekly summertime Thursday Night on the Square activities sponsored by the City of Palmdale, California.

Located adjacent to the AERO Institute buildings in the Palmdale Civic Center, Thursday Night on the Square is an eight-week series of outdoor festivals involving entertainment, arts and crafts, special presentations, and informal education activities. Each week focuses on a different theme. This year’s series began on June 25 and concludes Aug. 13.

The NASA Armstrong Aerospace Education Gallery will be open for the public, and visitors will have the opportunity to visit various exhibits on display in the Gallery. An educational presentation and hands-on activities will be conducted in the Educator Resource Center, also located at the AERO Institute. Teacher packs will be available to educators and handouts to the public to give them additional information on the hands-on activity and the presentation they viewed.

The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, share the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.

Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures are also streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.

The next lecture in the series is:

Discovery at Mars
Event Date: July 16 and July 17, 2015, at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2015&month=7
July 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of Mariner 4, the first spacecraft to successfully fly by the planet Mars. After a half-century of exploring the Red Planet, scientists continue to be surprised by findings there. Join Blaine Baggett, director of the Office of Communication and Education at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, for an evening to celebrate the past, survey the present and ponder the future possibilities of discovery at Mars.

The National AeroSpace Training and Research, or NASTAR, Center is hosting a series of teacher professional development programs throughout the month of July. Here’s your chance to experience acceleration in a centrifuge, pilot an airplane simulator, or explore the gas laws in an altitude chamber. Each one-day workshop is worth eight hours of continuing education.

The NASTAR Center is located in Southampton, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Philadelphia. The center is an Affiliate Member of the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium. Funding from the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium supports these programs, so they are offered at no cost to teachers.

On March 6, 2015, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft began orbiting Ceres, the largest body in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Even before the spacecraft arrived at the dwarf planet, images revealed mysterious bright spots that captivated scientists and observers alike.

Can you guess what’s creating those unusual bright spots on Ceres? Until Dawn gets a closer look over the next few months, it’s anyone’s guess what those spots could be.

The New York Space Grant Community College Partnership Program is presenting a workshop for community college and technical school faculty from New York State to encourage student engagement in research activities. The workshop will take place July 20-24, 2015, at the Borough of Manhattan Community College.

Workshop attendees will gain insight into implementing a Methods of Scientific Research course. This innovative course has engaged dozens of research students at the City University of New York. The course has sharpened their skills in scientific, analogical and proportional reasoning; basic computer skills; and general research skills (e.g., data quality judgment, experimental design and data analysis, statistics). Ideally, it also immerses them in the research environment, building their sense of belonging. The MSR course, which is 100 percent hands-on, and courses like it have been shown to improve STEM retention, particularly for students from underrepresented groups.

Faculty participants will receive a $250 stipend and breakfast and lunch. Participants are eligible for travel support. Attendance at all sessions of the five-day workshop is required.

NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, or SSERVI, is pleased to announce the second annual NASA Exploration Science Forum, to be held July 21-23, 2015, at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California.

This year’s forum will feature scientific discussions of exploration targets of interest, including the moon, near-Earth asteroids and the moons of Mars. Science sessions will focus on recent mission results and in-depth analyses of science and exploration studies. The Forum will feature dedicated side events for young professionals including LunaGradCon and a workshop on science journalism.

Forum attendees will have the opportunity to experience the Lunar Mapping and Modeling Portal. The portal is an integrated suite of lunar and planetary mapping and modeling tools and products. This suite supports exploration and science activities, as well as community outreach. Users can navigate a tabletop touch screen to experience a 3-D surface flyover of the moon and other target bodies of interest.

Registration is free, and attendance by the entire exploration science community is encouraged.

“Where Over the World Is Astronaut Scott Kelly?” Geography From Space Trivia Contest

During his year-long stay on the International Space Station, astronaut Scott Kelly wants to test your knowledge of the world through a geography trivia game on Twitter. Traveling more than 220 miles above Earth, and at 17,500 miles per hour, he circumnavigates the globe more than a dozen times a day. This gives Kelly the opportunity to see and photograph various geographical locations on Earth. In fact, part of his job while in space is to capture images of Earth for scientific observations.

Follow @StationCDRKelly on Twitter. Each Wednesday, Kelly will tweet a picture and ask the public to identify the place depicted in the photo. The first person to identify the place correctly will win an autographed copy of the picture. Kelly plans to continue posting weekly contest photos until he returns from the space station in March 2016.

Free ‘Ask an Expert’ Series Presented by Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum

Join the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum for a series of “Ask an Expert” events. Each 15-minute discussion is presented by a member of the museum staff. Upcoming space-related discussions include:

What Did the Apollo 11 Astronauts Bring Home From the Moon?July 22, 2015, at Noon EDThttp://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=17152
Join Dr. Allan A. Needell at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, District of Columbia, for a 15-minute discussion about the artifacts brought back from the moon by the Apollo 11 astronauts. Needell joined the museum in 1981 and is responsible for its Apollo artifacts collection. Meet at the museum’s “Great Seal” in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall on the first floor.

Getting the Heroes HomeJuly 23, 2015, at 12:30 p.m. EDThttp://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=16360
Join Dr. Allan A. Needell at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, for a 15-minute discussion about the landing and recovery of the Apollo astronauts. Meet at the nose of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird in the Boeing Aviation Hangar.

Robert Goddard’s RocketsAug. 13, 2015, at 12:30 p.m. EDThttp://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=16556
Join Dr. Michael Neufeld at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, for a 15-minute discussion about rocket pioneer Robert Goddard. Neufeld joined the museum in 1988 and is a senior curator in the Division of Space History. Meet at the nose of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird in the Boeing Aviation Hangar.

The National Air and Space Museum’s Family Day event series celebrates the diverse ethnic and cultural communities that have contributed to aviation and space exploration. Events will commemorate historic and current contributions through presentations and activities for the entire family. The events are free and open to the public.

Mars Day! 2015
July 24, 2015, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, District of Columbia
Mars Day! is an annual event at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum that celebrates the Red Planet with educational and fun family activities. Visitors can talk to scientists active in Mars research and learn about current and future missions. Participants can take part in hands-on educational activities about the geology of Mars and more.http://airandspace.si.edu/events/marsday/

We Share STEM! Connecting Across Cultures Aug. 1, 2015, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. EDT National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia
Learn about the contributions of scientists and engineers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics professions across cultures. Meet scientists and engineers who are active in STEM fields such as robotics, aerospace design and aviation, and develop your own skills through hands-on activities.http://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=16818

Milestones in Aviation and Space
Aug. 8, 2015, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, District of Columbia
Explore how aviation and space exploration have changed the world! Celebrate the amazing accomplishments in aviation and aerospace, from jets making Hawaii a more accessible vacation destination to the CST-100 taking astronauts into space.http://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=16881Please direct questions about this series of events to the Visitor Service line at 202-633-2214.

The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities is hosting a webinar to educate HBCUs on the grants and opportunities available to them through NASA. The hourlong webinar will take place July 30, 2015, at 10:30 a.m. EDT.

This webinar will feature a presentation by NASA highlighting the agency’s funding opportunities for HBCUs. Representatives from the HBCU community are invited and encouraged to view the webinar live and ask questions.

To join the online meeting: (Now also accessible from mobile devices!)

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is offering tours that take visitors behind the scenes and inside certain research facilities. Glenn scientists and engineers serve as guides. Tours will be offered each month through October 2015. Tours are free of charge for groups and individuals on an advance reservation basis. Visitor parking is also available free of charge.

A tour bus departs from Glenn’s main gate every hour beginning at 10 a.m. The last tour departs at 1 p.m. Each tour lasts about 45 minutes and is followed by a stop at Glenn’s Gift Shop.

Glenn’s 2015 Tour Schedule

Aug. 1, 2015 — See Things a Different Way: Check out Glenn’s Graphics and Visualization, or GVIS, and the Reconfigurable User-interface and Virtual Reality Exploration, or GRUVE, Laboratories. The GVIS Lab uses advanced computer input and output devices paired with a variety of natural user interface devices and 3-D displays. The GRUVE lab is used to analyze data obtained either by computer simulation or from research test facilities.

Sept. 12, 2015 — Go to the Extreme: Join us on a tour through Glenn’s Extreme Environments Rig, or GEER. As NASA ventures through the solar system and beyond, spacecraft will experience hostile environments of Venus and other planetary bodies. Temperatures can reach hundreds of degrees. Air pressure is crushing, and the toxic atmosphere is thick. GEER is designed to simulate those temperatures and pressure extremes and accurately reproduce the atmospheric compositions of bodies in the solar system. GEER is currently in its commissioning phase for operations simulating Venus’ surface temperature, pressure and chemistry.

Oct. 3, 2015 — Explore Locomotion on Planets: Come explore the Simulated Lunar Operations facility, which is home to a 60-foot-long, 20-foot-wide sandpit filled with simulated lunar soil and a lunar rover test bed. Other areas simulate Martian soil conditions. Research in this facility will help NASA develop the components of rovers capable of traveling long distances and investigating planetary surfaces during future human and robotic missions to keep NASA’s journey to Mars moving forward.

NASA and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Foundation are challenging K-12 students to create a model of a container for space using 3-D modeling software. Astronauts need containers of all kinds — from advanced containers for studying fruit flies to simple containers for collecting Mars rocks or storing an astronaut’s food. The ability to 3-D print containers in space — on demand — will let humans venture farther into space. That’s why we are challenging students to start designing for space now.

Design entries could be for a container designed for microgravity on the International Space Station or a container designed for future astronauts on Mars! Space is a big place, but your imagination is even bigger. Multiple prizes, based on age groups, are available.

Entries must be submitted by Aug. 2, 2015.

The Design a Space Tool Challenge is the second in a series of challenges where students in grades K-12 create and submit a digital 3-D model of a container that they think astronauts might need in space. Future Engineers is a multiyear education initiative that consists of 3-D space challenges and curriculum videos that parents and educators can use to get kids designing today.

The education/public outreach team from NASA’s Solar System Exploration Virtual Institute, or SSERVI, at Brown University/MIT and the University of Central Florida invite you to take part in a four-day workshop at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. The event will take place Aug. 2-5, 2015.

The SSERVI team is bringing together a variety of educators, artists and creative, science-savvy citizens to create accessible STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) content for both formal and informal education settings over the next four years. The activities and resources pulled together during this workshop will be collated, printed and distributed internationally as part of a NASA Educator’s Guide.

Ideally, participants will take part in all four years of the project and help to develop, integrate and test curricula. At this first formal education workshop, participants will become familiar with the science content, as well as work together to develop STEAM curricula based on national science, English language arts, art and mathematics standards.

Participants will receive a small stipend for participating, plus set compensation for travel, lodging and meals. See terms and conditions at the workshop website.

NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Stewards Education Project is hosting a free climate-science workshop for formal and informal educators on Aug. 5, 2015, at the NOAA Science Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Participants will hear from and interact with climate science, education and communication experts.

The workshop will focus on an introduction to global climate models exploring the subject of climate change in the same way that research scientists do. Simulations and activities for modeling regional and/or topical impacts of climate change will be shared with a goal of connecting educators and their students/audiences to the best-available, science-based information and resources about climate change.

Attendance is limited and availability will be on a first come, first serve basis, so register early. Participation is free, but attendees are responsible for arranging their own transportation, lodging and meals unless otherwise indicated in workshop details.

All attendees will receive a certificate acknowledging their participation in the workshop as well as the number of professional development hours they have engaged in.

NASA and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, or UNOOSA, have launched a global photography competition to highlight how the vantage point of space helps us better understand our home planet, improve lives, and safeguard our future by aiding sustainable development on Earth.

To highlight the role of space-based science and technologies and their applications on Earth, NASA and UNOOSA are inviting the public to submit photos depicting why space matters to us all in our daily lives. To participate, post a picture and description on Instagram using the hashtag #whyspacematters and tagging @UNOOSA.

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who is three months into a one-year mission aboard the International Space Station, will announce the winning photo each month by posting it from his Instagram account @StationCDRKelly.

NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.

Sept. 26-27, 2015 — University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Milwaukee, WisconsinCAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop for Current and Future Astronomy and Space Science Instructors

The American Geosciences Institute is sponsoring a series of contests to celebrate Earth Science Week 2015. This year’s celebration takes place Oct. 11-17, 2015.

Earth Science Week 2015 Photography Contest — Open to All Ageshttp://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/photography/index.html
Geoscientists study our planet’s geosphere (land), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), and biosphere (living things). These spheres — or Earth systems — continually affect and influence one another. With a camera, you can capture evidence of the dynamic impact of change processes in your home, neighborhood, school, workplace or local public spaces. In a photo, show at least one Earth system affecting another Earth system in your community.

Earth Science Week 2015 Visual Arts Contest — Open to Students in Grades K-5http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/visualarts/index.html
Earth science is the study of Earth systems — land, water, air and living things. Scientists pay special attention to the ways these things affect each other, such as the way wind shapes the landscape or falling rain nourishes plants. Use artwork to show how land, water, air and living things interact in the world around you.

Earth Science Week 2015 Essay Contest — Open to Students in Grades 6-9http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/essay/index.html
Since the earliest hand-drawn maps and diagrams, “visualization” has been an important way of explaining and understanding the interactions of land, water, air and living things. Earth scientists today use more sophisticated technology to monitor and represent these Earth systems — the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. In an original essay no more than 300 words in length, explain one way that geoscientists’ use of cutting-edge visualization is advancing Earth science today.

The entry deadline for all three contests is Oct. 16, 2015. Visit the contest websites for full details.

If you have any questions about these contests, please email the Earth Science Week staff at info@earthsciweek.org.

New STEM on Station Website Brings the Space Station Into the Classroom

NASA Education is celebrating the yearlong mission to the International Space Station with the launch of the new STEM on Station website!

The website features lesson plans, videos and up-to-the-minute education news. Learn more about the crew that is living and working on the space station for a whole year and what we hope to learn from their extended mission. Get to know the International Space Station, and find out what a typical day for an astronaut on board is like.

The STEM on Station website also features Learning Launchers. These “Teacher Toolkits” focus on research and activities related to the space station. Each month will feature a One-Year Mission research theme or other topic related to the space station. Use lesson plans, videos and related resources to bring the International Space Station into your classroom. More topics will be featured, so check back often to learn about what’s coming next.

New Horizons, the fastest spacecraft ever launched, rocketed atop an Atlas V from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station more than nine years ago. Now days away from the Pluto Flyby, Chuck Tatro, Launch Site Integration branch chief for NASA’s Launch Services Program, joins NASA Education for a special live-streamed event from the Digital Learning Network. With Pluto on the horizon, join us for a look back at where the journey began and count down to the historic first close-up view of the dwarf planet. Submit questions via Twitter using #askDLN or via email to DLiNfochannel@gmail.com.

The 90-minute event will be webcast on the NASA DLiNfo Channel on July 9, 2015, at 1 p.m. EDT.

Visit NASA Education at Thursday Night on the Square Events in Palmdale, California

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center’s Office of Education and its partner the AERO Institute are taking part in the weekly summertime Thursday Night on the Square activities sponsored by the City of Palmdale, California.

Located adjacent to the AERO Institute buildings in the Palmdale Civic Center, Thursday Night on the Square is an eight-week series of outdoor festivals involving entertainment, arts and crafts, special presentations, and informal education activities. Each week focuses on a different theme. This year’s series began on June 25 and concludes Aug. 13.

The NASA Armstrong Aerospace Education Gallery will be open for the public, and visitors will have the opportunity to visit various exhibits on display in the Gallery. An educational presentation and hands-on activities will be conducted in the Educator Resource Center, also located at the AERO Institute. Teacher packs will be available to educators and handouts to the public to give them additional information on the hands-on activity and the presentation they viewed.

Call for Proposals — Early Stage Innovations NASA Research Announcement

NASA is seeking proposals from universities for early-stage technology development that will support the agency’s long-term plans for human exploration of Mars and scientific study of our solar system and beyond. The Early Stage Innovations NASA Research Announcement calls for innovative space technology proposals that could benefit NASA’s space program, other government agencies and the greater aerospace community.

The proposals may cover transformative space technologies in different fields, including planetary exploration capabilities, such as payload technologies for assistive free-flyers and robotic mobility technologies for the surfaces of icy moons. They also may cover material science, such as discrete cellular materials assembly, repair and reconfiguration, and computationally guided structural nanomaterials design.

Other topics could include optical communication for space using integrated photonics, atmospheric entry modeling development using data from the first flight test of NASA’s Orion spacecraft in December 2014, and high-voltage power management and distribution electronics for space applications.

The agency expects to make approximately 12 awards this fall, with total award amounts of as much as $500,000. Research and development efforts will take place over two to three years.

Only accredited U.S. universities may submit proposals under this solicitation. The deadline for submitting final proposals is July 10, 2015.

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is offering tours that take visitors behind the scenes and inside certain research facilities. Glenn scientists and engineers serve as guides. Tours will be offered each month through October 2015. Tours are free of charge for groups and individuals on an advance reservation basis. Visitor parking is also available free of charge.

A tour bus departs from Glenn’s main gate every hour beginning at 10 a.m. The last tour departs at 1 p.m. Each tour lasts about 45 minutes and is followed by a stop at Glenn’s Gift Shop.

Glenn’s 2015 Tour Schedule

July 11, 2015 — Breeze by a Wind Tunnel: Tour the Abe Silverstein Supersonic Wind Tunnel. This facility has conducted supersonic propulsion testing on aircraft components such as inlets, nozzles and engines. It is ideally suited for launch vehicle tests and other fuel-burning applications.

Aug. 1, 2015 — See Things a Different Way: Check out Glenn’s Graphics and Visualization, or GVIS, and the Reconfigurable User-interface and Virtual Reality Exploration, or GRUVE, Laboratories. The GVIS Lab uses advanced computer input and output devices paired with a variety of natural user interface devices and 3-D displays. The GRUVE lab is used to analyze data obtained either by computer simulation or from research test facilities.

Sept. 12, 2015 — Go to the Extreme: Join us on a tour through Glenn’s Extreme Environments Rig, or GEER. As NASA ventures through the solar system and beyond, spacecraft will experience hostile environments of Venus and other planetary bodies. Temperatures can reach hundreds of degrees. Air pressure is crushing, and the toxic atmosphere is thick. GEER is designed to simulate those temperatures and pressure extremes and accurately reproduce the atmospheric compositions of bodies in the solar system. GEER is currently in its commissioning phase for operations simulating Venus’ surface temperature, pressure and chemistry.

Oct. 3, 2015 — Explore Locomotion on Planets: Come explore the Simulated Lunar Operations facility, which is home to a 60-foot-long, 20-foot-wide sandpit filled with simulated lunar soil and a lunar rover test bed. Other areas simulate Martian soil conditions. Research in this facility will help NASA develop the components of rovers capable of traveling long distances and investigating planetary surfaces during future human and robotic missions to keep NASA’s journey to Mars moving forward.

The National AeroSpace Training and Research, or NASTAR, Center is hosting a series of teacher professional development programs throughout the month of July. Here’s your chance to experience acceleration in a centrifuge, pilot an airplane simulator, or explore the gas laws in an altitude chamber. Each one-day workshop is worth eight hours of continuing education.

The NASTAR Center is located in Southampton, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Philadelphia. The center is an Affiliate Member of the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium. Funding from the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium supports these programs, so they are offered at no cost to teachers.

NASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. Simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description to register.

Rockets 2 Racecars: May the Force Uplift You … Or Not!
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-9Event Date: July 13, 2015, at 4 p.m. EDT
Get your students revved up about science, technology, engineering and mathematics with NASA’s Rockets 2 Racecars (R2R) STEM Education series. When you’re traveling at speeds of 200 miles an hour, it’s important to understand that faster moving air creates lower pressure! Air that travels around a curved surface speeds up, which creates an area of low pressure. Discover NASA-inspired hands-on activities about air pressure and air flow to help students understand Bernoulli’s principles.
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/133117

Exploring Strange New Worlds Series — New HorizonsAudience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-8Event Date: July 14, 2015, at 6 p.m. EDT
Celebrate New Horizons’ arrival at Pluto after a nine-year journey through our solar system. What is Pluto? How is Pluto both different from and like other objects in our solar system? These are some of the questions to be investigated by NASA’s first robotic mission to Pluto, New Horizons. This webinar will help answer these questions by discussing the New Horizon mission, NASA STEM education curriculum and online resources. Join us to learn exciting ways to bring the fascination of Pluto into your classroom. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/133063

Hubble MathAudience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-12Event Date: July 15, 2015, at Noon EDT
Participants will review resources focused on Hubble Space Telescope imagery, basic operations of the telescope and the science behind it. Resources introduced here will address operations and algebraic thinking, measurement and data, geometry, expressions and equations, and statistics and probability at multiple levels for grades 5-12. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/130157

Eating Math and Science With Servings of Space Food and NutritionAudience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-12Event Date: July 16, 2015, at 6 p.m. EDT
Eat your way through math and science. This webinar will explore NASA STEM curriculum designed to investigate space food and nutrition for astronauts. Participants will investigate NASA resources related to the caloric content and nutritional value of space foods and the nutritional needs of astronauts. Using these resources, learn how to construct sample space food menus as a way of better understanding space food and nutrition for human space exploration. Come explore a menu of inquiry activities and other resources integrating this exciting topic and satisfy your STEM appetite. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/133862

Celebrate ‘Pluto-Palooza’ at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, are celebrating the New Horizons spacecraft flyby of Pluto with “Pluto-Palooza”! Join in the festivities on July 14, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT.

The celebration will highlight Pluto and the New Horizons spacecraft, which will make its closest flyby of Pluto on the same day. Planned activities will include Spacey Story Time, Dwarf Planet vs. Planet activity, Make Your Own Dwarf Planet activity, a planetarium presentation, plus other hands-on NASA-unique workshops.

Please direct any questions about the event to Amy McDowell at amy.mcdowell@nasa.gov.
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NASA’s Mars Student Imaging Project Educator Training

Arizona State University’s Mars Education Program is hosting a training opportunity for educators interested in learning how to facilitate NASA’s Mars Student Imaging Project. Help your students learn about science by being the scientists and conducting research on another planet — Mars! The Mars Student Imaging Project is appropriate for grades 5-12, is designed specifically for the Next Generation Science Standards and embeds 21st Century Skills.

Learn how you can facilitate this project in your classroom. You don’t need any background in planets or geology to participate. This is project-based learning, and your students will learn how science works by formulating research questions, collecting and analyzing data, and reporting their findings to NASA scientists. Students’ work will be driven by their own interests about Mars!

An in-depth, virtual training session will take place July 14-16, 2015. This session is free, and participants will earn eight hours of professional development credit.

“Where Over the World Is Astronaut Scott Kelly?” Geography From Space Trivia Contest

During his year-long stay on the International Space Station, astronaut Scott Kelly wants to test your knowledge of the world through a geography trivia game on Twitter. Traveling more than 220 miles above Earth, and at 17,500 miles per hour, he circumnavigates the globe more than a dozen times a day. This gives Kelly the opportunity to see and photograph various geographical locations on Earth. In fact, part of his job while in space is to capture images of Earth for scientific observations.

Follow @StationCDRKelly on Twitter. Each Wednesday, Kelly will tweet a picture and ask the public to identify the place depicted in the photo. The first person to identify the place correctly will win an autographed copy of the picture. Kelly plans to continue posting weekly contest photos until he returns from the space station in March 2016.

NASA and the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, known as America Makes, are holding a new $2.25 million competition to design and build a 3-D printed habitat for deep space exploration, including the agency’s journey to Mars. The multi-phase 3-D Printed Habitat Challenge, part of NASA’s Centennial Challenges program, is designed to advance the additive construction technology needed to create sustainable housing solutions for Earth and beyond.

The first phase of the competition, a design competition, calls on participants to develop state-of-the-art architectural concepts that take advantage of the unique capabilities 3-D printing offers. The top 30 submissions will be judged, and a prize purse of $50,000 will be awarded at the 2015 World Maker Faire in New York.

The deadline to submit a registration packet for the design competition phase is July 15, 2015.

The second phase of the competition is divided into two levels. The Structural Member Competition (Level 1) focuses on the fabrication technologies needed to manufacture structural components from a combination of indigenous materials and recyclables, or indigenous materials alone. The On-Site Habitat Competition (Level 2) challenges competitors to fabricate full-scale habitats using indigenous materials or indigenous materials combined with recyclables. Both levels open for registration Sept. 26, and each carries a $1.1 million prize.

DEADLINE EXTENDED: Call for Abstracts: 31st American Society for Gravitational and Space Research Conference

A call for abstracts has been released for the 31st annual American Society for Gravitational and Space Research, or ASGSR, Conference taking place Nov. 11-14, 2015, in Alexandria, Virginia.

Applicants must submit abstracts electronically no later than July 15, 2015, using the abstract submittal form and instructions posted on the ASGSR website. All submitted abstracts will be peer-reviewed by the conference organizing committee.

All accepted abstracts from students will be presented as posters or orally in competitions. The student poster competition will be judged by society members, and monetary awards will be given during the banquet scheduled for Nov. 14, 2015. Students must be present at the banquet to receive the monetary award. Student competition winners will be encouraged to submit an extended abstract or a communication article to the ASGSR journal “Gravitational and Space Research.” All students should coordinate with their advisors when submitting an abstract for the conference.

Student travel assistance of up to $500 is available on a limited basis. Students requesting consideration for travel assistance should check the box on the abstract submittal form.

The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, share the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.

Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures are also streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.

The next lecture in the series is:

Discovery at Mars
Event Date: July 16 and July 17, 2015, at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2015&month=7
July 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of Mariner 4, the first spacecraft to successfully fly by the planet Mars. After a half-century of exploring the Red Planet, scientists continue to be surprised by findings there. Join Blaine Baggett, director of the Office of Communication and Education at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, for an evening to celebrate the past, survey the present and ponder the future possibilities of discovery at Mars.

On March 6, 2015, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft began orbiting Ceres, the largest body in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Even before the spacecraft arrived at the dwarf planet, images revealed mysterious bright spots that captivated scientists and observers alike.

Can you guess what’s creating those unusual bright spots on Ceres? Until Dawn gets a closer look over the next few months, it’s anyone’s guess what those spots could be.

The New York Space Grant Community College Partnership Program is presenting a workshop for community college and technical school faculty from New York State to encourage student engagement in research activities. The workshop will take place July 20-24, 2015, at the Borough of Manhattan Community College.

Workshop attendees will gain insight into implementing a Methods of Scientific Research course. This innovative course has engaged dozens of research students at the City University of New York. The course has sharpened their skills in scientific, analogical and proportional reasoning; basic computer skills; and general research skills (e.g., data quality judgment, experimental design and data analysis, statistics). Ideally, it also immerses them in the research environment, building their sense of belonging. The MSR course, which is 100 percent hands-on, and courses like it have been shown to improve STEM retention, particularly for students from underrepresented groups.

Faculty participants will receive a $250 stipend and breakfast and lunch. Participants are eligible for travel support. Attendance at all sessions of the five-day workshop is required.

NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, or SSERVI, is pleased to announce the second annual NASA Exploration Science Forum, to be held July 21-23, 2015, at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California.

This year’s forum will feature scientific discussions of exploration targets of interest, including the moon, near-Earth asteroids and the moons of Mars. Science sessions will focus on recent mission results and in-depth analyses of science and exploration studies. The Forum will feature dedicated side events for young professionals including LunaGradCon and a workshop on science journalism.

Forum attendees will have the opportunity to experience the Lunar Mapping and Modeling Portal. The portal is an integrated suite of lunar and planetary mapping and modeling tools and products. This suite supports exploration and science activities, as well as community outreach. Users can navigate a tabletop touch screen to experience a 3-D surface flyover of the moon and other target bodies of interest.

Registration is free, and attendance by the entire exploration science community is encouraged.

NASA and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Foundation are challenging K-12 students to create a model of a container for space using 3-D modeling software. Astronauts need containers of all kinds — from advanced containers for studying fruit flies to simple containers for collecting Mars rocks or storing an astronaut’s food. The ability to 3-D print containers in space — on demand — will let humans venture farther into space. That’s why we are challenging students to start designing for space now.

Design entries could be for a container designed for microgravity on the International Space Station or a container designed for future astronauts on Mars! Space is a big place, but your imagination is even bigger. Multiple prizes, based on age groups, are available.

Entries must be submitted by Aug. 2, 2015.

The Design a Space Tool Challenge is the second in a series of challenges where students in grades K-12 create and submit a digital 3-D model of a container that they think astronauts might need in space. Future Engineers is a multiyear education initiative that consists of 3-D space challenges and curriculum videos that parents and educators can use to get kids designing today.

The education/public outreach team from NASA’s Solar System Exploration Virtual Institute, or SSERVI, at Brown University/MIT and the University of Central Florida invite you to take part in a four-day workshop at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. The event will take place Aug. 2-5, 2015.

The SSERVI team is bringing together a variety of educators, artists and creative, science-savvy citizens to create accessible STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) content for both formal and informal education settings over the next four years. The activities and resources pulled together during this workshop will be collated, printed and distributed internationally as part of a NASA Educator’s Guide.

Ideally, participants will take part in all four years of the project and help to develop, integrate and test curricula. At this first formal education workshop, participants will become familiar with the science content, as well as work together to develop STEAM curricula based on national science, English language arts, art and mathematics standards.

Participants will receive a small stipend for participating, plus set compensation for travel, lodging and meals. See terms and conditions at the workshop website.

NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Stewards Education Project is hosting a free climate-science workshop for formal and informal educators on Aug. 5, 2015, at the NOAA Science Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Participants will hear from and interact with climate science, education and communication experts.

The workshop will focus on an introduction to global climate models exploring the subject of climate change in the same way that research scientists do. Simulations and activities for modeling regional and/or topical impacts of climate change will be shared with a goal of connecting educators and their students/audiences to the best-available, science-based information and resources about climate change.

Attendance is limited and availability will be on a first come, first serve basis, so register early. Participation is free, but attendees are responsible for arranging their own transportation, lodging and meals unless otherwise indicated in workshop details.

All attendees will receive a certificate acknowledging their participation in the workshop as well as the number of professional development hours they have engaged in.

On Sept. 19, 2015, the whole world has the chance to admire and celebrate our moon on International Observe the Moon Night. And you can join in the fun!

Check the map of registered observation events at http://observethemoonnight.org to see if an event is being held near you. If not, please consider registering and hosting one and inviting your community.

Are you worried about cloudy weather obscuring your view of the moon?The “Moon as Art” collection, chosen by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, team, gives the public the opportunity to see the moon as others have seen it for centuries — as an inspirational muse. But this time, also see the moon from the perspective of being in orbit with a series of eyes that see different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Learn more at http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/moonartgallery.html.

Additional beautiful, high-resolution images of the moon’s surface taken by LRO’s cameras are available at http://lroc.sese.asu.edu.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Lora.V.Bleacher@nasa.gov.
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NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.

Sept. 26-27, 2015 — University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Milwaukee, WisconsinCAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop for Current and Future Astronomy and Space Science Instructors

On March 6, 2015, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft began orbiting Ceres, the largest body in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Even before the spacecraft arrived at the dwarf planet, images revealed mysterious bright spots that captivated scientists and observers alike.

Can you guess what’s creating those unusual bright spots on Ceres? Until Dawn gets a closer look over the next few months, it’s anyone’s guess what those spots could be.

Visit NASA Education at Thursday Night on the Square Events in Palmdale, California

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center’s Office of Education and its partner the AERO Institute are taking part in the weekly summertime Thursday Night on the Square activities sponsored by the City of Palmdale, California.

Located adjacent to the AERO Institute buildings in the Palmdale Civic Center, Thursday Night on the Square is an eight-week series of outdoor festivals involving entertainment, arts and crafts, special presentations, and informal education activities. Each week focuses on a different theme. This year’s series begins on June 25 and concludes Aug. 13.

The NASA Armstrong Aerospace Education Gallery will be open for the public, and visitors will have the opportunity to visit various exhibits on display in the Gallery. An educational presentation and hands-on activities will be conducted in the Educator Resource Center, also located at the AERO Institute. Teacher packs will be available to educators and handouts to the public to give them additional information on the hands-on activity and the presentation they viewed.

NASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. Simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description to register.

Exploring Strange New Worlds Series: Exploring Ice in the Solar System
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-5Event Date: July 6, 2015, at 12 p.m. EDT
In this webinar, we will look at a multitude of activities from the Messenger mission education module highlighting the importance of ice in comparative planetology. Classroom adaptations and accommodations also will be discussed. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/130155

Rockets 2 Racecars: Session 1 — Introduction to SpinoffsAudience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-9Event Date: July 8, 2015, at 4 p.m. EDT
Get your students revved up about science, technology, engineering and mathematics with NASA’s Rockets 2 Racecars STEM Education four-part webinar series! Join us for an introduction to R2R, where educators discover information and useful resources about NASA research and technologies that have contributed to the future of NASCAR and the automobile industry as a whole. Educators also will have the opportunity to help their students discover where NASA research has played a role in their community. Come discover how space is all around you! Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/133115

As NASA embarks on an ambitious journey to Mars, the agency is looking for your innovative and creative ideas to help make the journey possible! The public is invited to share their ideas, in detail, for developing the elements of space pioneering necessary to establish a continuous human presence on the Red Planet. These ideas could include shelter, food, water, breathable air, communication, exercise, social interactions and medicine, but NASA encourages participants to consider elements beyond these examples.

NASA’s efforts for sending humans to Mars are well underway, with rovers exploring the planet’s surface and spacecraft monitoring Mars from orbit. The International Space Station is testing systems and serving as a lab to learn more about the health impacts of extended space travel. NASA is testing and developing its next generation of launch and crew vehicles — the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crewed spacecraft.

Given spacecraft limitations on weight and volume — and a minimum 500 days between resupply opportunities — a mission to Mars that is not dependent on Earth for resources requires innovative solutions.

NASA seeks technical submissions that describe the development of capabilities and operations necessary, in both the near- and long-term, to advance this bold journey. Submissions may consist of proposed approaches, capabilities, systems, or a set of integrated systems that enable or enhance a sustained human presence on Mars. Solutions should include the assumptions, analysis and data that justify their value. Submissions should include a process to develop, test, implement, and operate the system or capability.

NASA will judge submissions on relevance, creativity, simplicity, resource efficiency, feasibility, comprehensiveness and scalability. NASA expects to make up to three awards at a minimum of $5,000 each from a total award pool of $15,000.

Join the NASA Sun-Earth Days team in celebrating the smaller members of our solar system during Small Worlds Week! From Monday, July 6, through Friday, July 10, NASA will hold a celebration of the more than 200,000 small worlds — comets, asteroids, icy moons and dwarf planets — that make up the majority of objects in our solar system.

Each day, Monday-Thursday, will highlight a different type of solar system body, including resources that were developed for classroom use.

Then, on Friday, July 10, a cadre of planetary scientists from across the country will stand by to answer your questions via Facebook and Twitter. So get those questions ready! Why is Pluto not a planet? Did comets bring life to Earth? Are we in danger from Near Earth Asteroids? Can life exist in the cold, dark outer solar system?

Please email questions about this weeklong event to sunearthday@gmail.com.
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Teacher Professional Development Programs at the NASTAR Center

The National AeroSpace Training and Research, or NASTAR, Center is hosting a series of teacher professional development programs throughout the month of July. Here’s your chance to experience acceleration in a centrifuge, pilot an airplane simulator, or explore the gas laws in an altitude chamber. Each one-day workshop is worth eight hours of continuing education.

The NASTAR Center is located in Southampton, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Philadelphia. The center is an Affiliate Member of the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium. Funding from the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium supports these programs, so they are offered at no cost to teachers.

“Where Over the World Is Astronaut Scott Kelly?” Geography From Space Trivia Contest

During his year-long stay on the International Space Station, astronaut Scott Kelly wants to test your knowledge of the world through a geography trivia game on Twitter. Traveling more than 220 miles above Earth, and at 17,500 miles per hour, he circumnavigates the globe more than a dozen times a day. This gives Kelly the opportunity to see and photograph various geographical locations on Earth. In fact, part of his job while in space is to capture images of Earth for scientific observations.

Follow @StationCDRKelly on Twitter. Each Wednesday, Kelly will tweet a picture and ask the public to identify the place depicted in the photo. The first person to identify the place correctly will win an autographed copy of the picture. Kelly plans to continue posting weekly contest photos until he returns from the space station in March 2016.

Arizona State University’s Mars Education Program is hosting three training opportunities for educators interested in learning how to facilitate NASA’s Mars Student Imaging Project. Help your students learn about science by being the scientists and conducting research on another planet — Mars! The Mars Student Imaging Project is designed specifically for the Next Generation Science Standards and embeds 21st Century Skills.

Learn how you can facilitate this project in your classroom. You don’t need any background in planets or geology to participate. This is project-based learning, and your students will learn how science works by formulating research questions, collecting and analyzing data, and reporting their findings to NASA scientists. Students’ work will be driven by their own interests about Mars!

The Mars Student Imaging Project is appropriate for grades 5-12.

A live training session will take place at the Arizona State University campus in Tempe, Arizona, July 8-9, 2015. The training fee is $10, and participants will earn eight hours of professional development credit. For more information and to register to attend, visit http://marsed.asu.edu/msip/at-asu-training-2015.

Two in-depth, virtual training sessions also will be offered. These sessions are free, and participants will earn eight hours of professional development credit.

New Horizons, the fastest spacecraft ever launched, rocketed atop an Atlas V from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station more than nine years ago. Now days away from the Pluto Flyby, Chuck Tatro, Launch Site Integration branch chief for NASA’s Launch Services Program, joins NASA Education for a special live-streamed event from the Digital Learning Network. With Pluto on the horizon, join us for a look back at where the journey began and count down to the historic first close-up view of the dwarf planet. Submit questions via Twitter using #askDLN or via email to DLiNfochannel@gmail.com.

The 90-minute event will be webcast on the NASA DLiNfo Channel on July 9, 2015, at 1 p.m. EDT.

Call for Proposals — Early Stage Innovations NASA Research Announcement

NASA is seeking proposals from universities for early-stage technology development that will support the agency’s long-term plans for human exploration of Mars and scientific study of our solar system and beyond. The Early Stage Innovations NASA Research Announcement calls for innovative space technology proposals that could benefit NASA’s space program, other government agencies and the greater aerospace community.

The proposals may cover transformative space technologies in different fields, including planetary exploration capabilities, such as payload technologies for assistive free-flyers and robotic mobility technologies for the surfaces of icy moons. They also may cover material science, such as discrete cellular materials assembly, repair and reconfiguration, and computationally guided structural nanomaterials design.

Other topics could include optical communication for space using integrated photonics, atmospheric entry modeling development using data from the first flight test of NASA’s Orion spacecraft in December 2014, and high-voltage power management and distribution electronics for space applications.

The agency expects to make approximately 12 awards this fall, with total award amounts of as much as $500,000. Research and development efforts will take place over two to three years.

Only accredited U.S. universities may submit proposals under this solicitation. The deadline for submitting final proposals is July 10, 2015.

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is offering tours that take visitors behind the scenes and inside certain research facilities. Glenn scientists and engineers serve as guides. Tours will be offered each month through October 2015. Tours are free of charge for groups and individuals on an advance reservation basis. Visitor parking is also available free of charge.

A tour bus departs from Glenn’s main gate every hour beginning at 10 a.m. The last tour departs at 1 p.m. Each tour lasts about 45 minutes and is followed by a stop at Glenn’s Gift Shop.

Glenn’s 2015 Tour Schedule

July 11, 2015 — Breeze by a Wind Tunnel: Tour the Abe Silverstein Supersonic Wind Tunnel. This facility has conducted supersonic propulsion testing on aircraft components such as inlets, nozzles and engines. It is ideally suited for launch vehicle tests and other fuel-burning applications.

Aug. 1, 2015 — See Things a Different Way: Check out Glenn’s Graphics and Visualization, or GVIS, and the Reconfigurable User-interface and Virtual Reality Exploration, or GRUVE, Laboratories. The GVIS Lab uses advanced computer input and output devices paired with a variety of natural user interface devices and 3-D displays. The GRUVE lab is used to analyze data obtained either by computer simulation or from research test facilities.

Sept. 12, 2015 — Go to the Extreme: Join us on a tour through Glenn’s Extreme Environments Rig, or GEER. As NASA ventures through the solar system and beyond, spacecraft will experience hostile environments of Venus and other planetary bodies. Temperatures can reach hundreds of degrees. Air pressure is crushing, and the toxic atmosphere is thick. GEER is designed to simulate those temperatures and pressure extremes and accurately reproduce the atmospheric compositions of bodies in the solar system. GEER is currently in its commissioning phase for operations simulating Venus’ surface temperature, pressure and chemistry.

Oct. 3, 2015 — Explore Locomotion on Planets: Come explore the Simulated Lunar Operations facility, which is home to a 60-foot-long, 20-foot-wide sandpit filled with simulated lunar soil and a lunar rover test bed. Other areas simulate Martian soil conditions. Research in this facility will help NASA develop the components of rovers capable of traveling long distances and investigating planetary surfaces during future human and robotic missions to keep NASA’s journey to Mars moving forward.

NASA and the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, known as America Makes, are holding a new $2.25 million competition to design and build a 3-D printed habitat for deep space exploration, including the agency’s journey to Mars. The multi-phase 3-D Printed Habitat Challenge, part of NASA’s Centennial Challenges program, is designed to advance the additive construction technology needed to create sustainable housing solutions for Earth and beyond.

The first phase of the competition, a design competition, calls on participants to develop state-of-the-art architectural concepts that take advantage of the unique capabilities 3-D printing offers. The top 30 submissions will be judged, and a prize purse of $50,000 will be awarded at the 2015 World Maker Faire in New York.

The deadline to submit a registration packet for the design competition phase is July 15, 2015.

The second phase of the competition is divided into two levels. The Structural Member Competition (Level 1) focuses on the fabrication technologies needed to manufacture structural components from a combination of indigenous materials and recyclables, or indigenous materials alone. The On-Site Habitat Competition (Level 2) challenges competitors to fabricate full-scale habitats using indigenous materials or indigenous materials combined with recyclables. Both levels open for registration Sept. 26, and each carries a $1.1 million prize.

DEADLINE EXTENDED: Call for Abstracts: 31st American Society for Gravitational and Space Research Conference

A call for abstracts has been released for the 31st annual American Society for Gravitational and Space Research, or ASGSR, Conference taking place Nov. 11-14, 2015, in Alexandria, Virginia.

Applicants must submit abstracts electronically no later than July 15, 2015, using the abstract submittal form and instructions posted on the ASGSR website. All submitted abstracts will be peer-reviewed by the conference organizing committee.

All accepted abstracts from students will be presented as posters or orally in competitions. The student poster competition will be judged by society members, and monetary awards will be given during the banquet scheduled for Nov. 14, 2015. Students must be present at the banquet to receive the monetary award. Student competition winners will be encouraged to submit an extended abstract or a communication article to the ASGSR journal “Gravitational and Space Research.” All students should coordinate with their advisors when submitting an abstract for the conference.

Student travel assistance of up to $500 is available on a limited basis. Students requesting consideration for travel assistance should check the box on the abstract submittal form.

The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, share the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.

Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures are also streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.

The next lecture in the series is:

Discovery at Mars
Event Date: July 16 and July 17, 2015, at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2015&month=7
July 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of Mariner 4, the first spacecraft to successfully fly by the planet Mars. After a half-century of exploring the Red Planet, scientists continue to be surprised by findings there. Join Blaine Baggett, director of the Office of Communication and Education at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, for an evening to celebrate the past, survey the present and ponder the future possibilities of discovery at Mars.

NASA and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Foundation are challenging K-12 students to create a model of a container for space using 3-D modeling software. Astronauts need containers of all kinds — from advanced containers for studying fruit flies to simple containers for collecting Mars rocks or storing an astronaut’s food. The ability to 3-D print containers in space — on demand — will let humans venture farther into space. That’s why we are challenging students to start designing for space now.

Design entries could be for a container designed for microgravity on the International Space Station or a container designed for future astronauts on Mars! Space is a big place, but your imagination is even bigger. Multiple prizes, based on age groups, are available.

Entries must be submitted by Aug. 2, 2015.

The Design a Space Tool Challenge is the second in a series of challenges where students in grades K-12 create and submit a digital 3-D model of a container that they think astronauts might need in space. Future Engineers is a multiyear education initiative that consists of 3-D space challenges and curriculum videos that parents and educators can use to get kids designing today.

NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Stewards Education Project is hosting a free climate-science workshop for formal and informal educators on Aug. 5, 2015, at the NOAA Science Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Participants will hear from and interact with climate science, education and communication experts.

The workshop will focus on an introduction to global climate models exploring the subject of climate change in the same way that research scientists do. Simulations and activities for modeling regional and/or topical impacts of climate change will be shared with a goal of connecting educators and their students/audiences to the best-available, science-based information and resources about climate change.

Attendance is limited and availability will be on a first come, first serve basis, so register early. Participation is free, but attendees are responsible for arranging their own transportation, lodging and meals unless otherwise indicated in workshop details.

All attendees will receive a certificate acknowledging their participation in the workshop as well as the number of professional development hours they have engaged in.

On Sept. 19, 2015, the whole world has the chance to admire and celebrate our moon on International Observe the Moon Night. And you can join in the fun!

Check the map of registered observation events at http://observethemoonnight.org to see if an event is being held near you. If not, please consider registering and hosting one and inviting your community.

Are you worried about cloudy weather obscuring your view of the moon?The “Moon as Art” collection, chosen by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, team, gives the public the opportunity to see the moon as others have seen it for centuries — as an inspirational muse. But this time, also see the moon from the perspective of being in orbit with a series of eyes that see different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Learn more at http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/moonartgallery.html.

Additional beautiful, high-resolution images of the moon’s surface taken by LRO’s cameras are available at http://lroc.sese.asu.edu.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Lora.V.Bleacher@nasa.gov.
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NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.

Sept. 26-27, 2015 — University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Milwaukee, WisconsinCAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop for Current and Future Astronomy and Space Science Instructors

Join educators and space enthusiasts around the world to celebrate World Space Week, Oct. 4-10, 2015. This international event commemorates the beginning of the Space Age with the launch of Sputnik 1 on Oct. 4, 1957.

World Space Week is the largest public space event in the world, with celebrations in more than 60 nations. During World Space Week, teachers are encouraged to use space-themed activities.

The American Geosciences Institute is sponsoring a series of contests to celebrate Earth Science Week 2015. This year’s celebration takes place Oct. 11-17, 2015.

Earth Science Week 2015 Photography Contest — Open to All Ageshttp://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/photography/index.html
Geoscientists study our planet’s geosphere (land), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), and biosphere (living things). These spheres — or Earth systems — continually affect and influence one another. With a camera, you can capture evidence of the dynamic impact of change processes in your home, neighborhood, school, workplace or local public spaces. In a photo, show at least one Earth system affecting another Earth system in your community.

Earth Science Week 2015 Visual Arts Contest — Open to Students in Grades K-5http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/visualarts/index.html
Earth science is the study of Earth systems — land, water, air and living things. Scientists pay special attention to the ways these things affect each other, such as the way wind shapes the landscape or falling rain nourishes plants. Use artwork to show how land, water, air and living things interact in the world around you.

Earth Science Week 2015 Essay Contest — Open to Students in Grades 6-9http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/essay/index.html
Since the earliest hand-drawn maps and diagrams, “visualization” has been an important way of explaining and understanding the interactions of land, water, air and living things. Earth scientists today use more sophisticated technology to monitor and represent these Earth systems — the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. In an original essay no more than 300 words in length, explain one way that geoscientists’ use of cutting-edge visualization is advancing Earth science today.

The entry deadline for all three contests is Oct. 16, 2015. Visit the contest websites for full details.

If you have any questions about these contests, please email the Earth Science Week staff at info@earthsciweek.org.

Check out the following NASA opportunities for the education community. Full descriptions are listed below.

New Educational Materials Available at NASA.gov2015-2016 NASA Education Brochure — All Educators
‘We’re With You When You Fly — Aeronautics for Pre-K’ Educator Guide — Grades Pre-K
NASA Educator Resource Guide for Living in the Age of Airplanes — Grades Pre-K-12

Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional DevelopmentAudience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators
Next Event Date: June 25, 2015, at 3 p.m. EDT

Are you looking for lesson plans that share the excitement of flight and aeronautics with young learners? Do you want to know more about NASA Education and everything it has to offer? Or maybe you’re hunting for activities to supplement summer learning. NASA Education has you covered!

The following items are now available for downloading.
NASA Education Brochure — All EducatorsThe mission of NASA Education is to advance high-quality STEM education using NASA’s unique capabilities. This brochure includes a brief overview of NASA Education and our mission: who we are; what we do; and how we do it. The brochure also explains the four initiatives and two primary programs for achieving that mission and lists the main websites for NASA Education. Learn how you can get involved.http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/NASA_Education_Brochure.html

NASA Educator Resource Guide for Living in the Age of Airplanes– Grades Pre-K-12Seven standards-based activities help students explore the social and scientific advances in the speed and distance of human travel, as well as NASA’s contribution to aviation. From comparing walking speeds to flying speeds and calculating how long it will take to reach certain destinations, to playing an air cargo game and creating map projections, the activities show students how air transportation has changed the world. This guide was developed as a supplement for the IMAX feature film “Living in the Age of Airplanes,” which was released in 2015 by National Geographic.http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Living_in_Age_of_Airplanes/

NASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. Simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description to register.

ISS Across the Curriculum Series: Space Faring — The Radiation Challenge
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-12Event Date: June 25, 2015, at 3 p.m. EDT
Design your own spacecraft that will shield astronauts from radiation. Discuss with colleagues how the space radiation studies on the International Space Station will influence the design of the Orion spacecraft that will journey to Mars. Radiation is an interdisciplinary science — biology, physics, astrophysics, planetary science and engineering design — that examines the effects of radiation on living systems. Explore the engineering design process and its application to real-world problem solving. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/131355

Exploring Strange New Worlds Series: Taking a Closer Look at Asteroids — The Dawn Mission
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-8Event Date: July 1, 2015, at 12 p.m. EDT
Join NASA Educator Professional Development for a free 60-minute webinar presenting an overview of the Dawn Mission. Take a closer look at asteroids, and learn how to use them to integrate mathematics, science and language arts in the classroom. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/132081

NASA’s Office of Education Minority University Research and Education Project, or MUREP, is seeking proposals from U.S organizations and institutions that align with the four White House Executive Orders for Minority Institutions to strengthen curriculum and curricular pathways in STEM and to attract, retain and support the success of underrepresented students in STEM degree programs.

Proposals for the NASA MUREP Other Opportunities solicitation must address one of the following as a primary focus: (1) increasing the number of minorities in STEM education areas relevant to NASA (2) effectively implementing NASA’s educational goals and objectives using NASA’s unique assets and capabilities (3) increasing the number of available STEM courses and curricular pathways (4) attracting, retaining and supporting the success of students in STEM degree programs and subsequently in NASA-related careers, or (5) increasing the number of students who complete STEM certificates/degrees from backgrounds that are historically underrepresented in STEM. Successful proposals will be funded as multiyear cooperative agreements.

Institutions planning to prepare a proposal package for the NASA MUREP Other Opportunities solicitation are asked to submit a Notice of Intent to propose. NOIs assist NASA in assessing the response to this cooperative agreement notice and determining the expertise required for the proposal review panel. NOIs should be submitted by the authorized organization representative into the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, or NSPIRES, by April 24, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Those interested in submitting a proposal must register with NSPIRES before it can be accessed for use.

Since NOIs submitted after the deadline may still be useful to NASA, late NOIs may be submitted and will be accepted.

NASA is looking for the next generation of scientists, engineers and innovators. To jump-start the future of potential explorers, Women@NASA has created a mentoring project that offers a one-of-a-kind experience for middle school students. Participants will explore the possibilities of a career in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The project will feature one-on-one mentoring from NASA employees. Participants will complete online lessons with their mentors while virtually connected through Skype or Google Chat.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens in grades 5-8 or the home-school equivalent. The mentoring project will take place over a five-week period during the summer.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope’s release into space. The 2015 Exploring Space Lectures will feature world-class scholars discussing some of the most innovative scientific research conducted using Hubble and exploring the insights the telescope has uncovered about our universe. Presenters will also discuss the telescope’s serviceability, design, administration, execution, and place in history.

The Hubble Space Telescope: The Agony and the Ecstasy
June 30, 2015, at 8 p.m. EDTThe Hubble Space Telescope is the most famous scientific instrument ever built, but its remarkable history has seen numerous ups and downs. Professor Robert Smith, author of the definitive history of the Hubble Space Telescope, will explore some of the most exciting and telling episodes in this rich history.

The lecture will be held at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in the District of Columbia, and attendance is free. However, tickets are required. Come early to see a free film and to meet the lecturer. The lecture will be webcast live for free viewing. Lecture videos will be archived.

The U.S. Department of Education is accepting proposals for the “First in the World” grant competition. The goal of this highly competitive program is to build evidence for what works in postsecondary education by testing the effectiveness of innovative strategies to improve student persistence and completion outcomes. The department will award grants in development and validation tiers.

NASA’s Office of Education is accepting new proposals under the Education Opportunities in NASA STEM, or EONS, 2014 NASA Research Announcement. Proposals are being solicited from Minority Serving Institutions to plan, coordinate and evaluate MUREP Educator Institutes that will bring pre-service and alternative-route STEM educators from Minority Serving Institutions across the U.S. to NASA centers annually for a one-week professional development session.

Institutions planning to prepare a proposal package for the NASA MUREP Other Opportunities solicitation are asked to submit a Notice of Intent to propose. NOIs assist NASA in assessing the response to this cooperative agreement notice and in determining the expertise required for the proposal review panel. NOIs should be submitted by the authorized organization representative into the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, or NSPIRES, by April 24, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Those interested in submitting a proposal must register with NSPIRES before it can be accessed for use.

Since NOIs submitted after the deadline may still be useful to NASA, late NOIs may be submitted and will be accepted.

Questions about this solicitation may be directed to Chris Copelan at NASAMEI@nasaprs.com.
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Cast Your Vote in the Ceres “Bright Spot” Mystery Poll

On March 6, 2015, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft began orbiting Ceres, the largest body in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Even before the spacecraft arrived at the dwarf planet, images revealed mysterious bright spots that captivated scientists and observers alike.

Can you guess what’s creating those unusual bright spots on Ceres? Until Dawn gets a closer look over the next few months, it’s anyone’s guess what those spots could be.

The NASA Postdoctoral Program, or NPP, supports NASA’s goal to expand scientific understanding of the Earth and the universe in which we live.

Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP fellows complete one- to three-year fellowships that offer scientists and engineers unique opportunities to conduct research in fields of science relevant to NASA.

As a result, NPP fellows contribute to national priorities for scientific exploration, confirm NASA’s leadership in fundamental research and complement the efforts of NASA’s partners in the national science community.

U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and foreign nationals eligible for J-1 status as a research scholar may apply. Applicants must have completed a doctorate or equivalent degree before beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing degree requirements. Applicants who earned the Ph.D. more than five years before the deadline date are categorized as senior fellows; all applicants, no matter their category, must apply and become eligible for an NPP award via the same process.

Interested applicants may apply by one of three annual application deadlines: March 1, July 1 and November 1.

Call for Abstracts: 31st American Society for Gravitational and Space Research Conference

A call for abstracts has been released for the 31st annual American Society for Gravitational and Space Research, or ASGSR, Conference taking place Nov. 11-14, 2015, in Alexandria, Virginia.

Applicants must submit abstracts electronically no later than July 1, 2015, using the abstract submittal form and instructions posted on the ASGSR website. All submitted abstracts will be peer-reviewed by the conference organizing committee.

All accepted abstracts from students will be presented as posters or orally in competitions. The student poster competition will be judged by society members, and monetary awards will be given during the banquet scheduled for Nov. 14, 2015. Students must be present at the banquet to receive the monetary award. Student competition winners will be encouraged to submit an extended abstract or a communication article to the ASGSR journal “Gravitational and Space Research.” All students should coordinate with their advisors when submitting an abstract for the conference.

Student travel assistance of up to $500 is available on a limited basis. Students requesting consideration for travel assistance should check the box on the abstract submittal form.

“Where Over the World Is Astronaut Scott Kelly?” Geography From Space Trivia Contest

During his year-long stay on the International Space Station, astronaut Scott Kelly wants to test your knowledge of the world through a geography trivia game on Twitter. Traveling more than 220 miles above Earth, and at 17,500 miles per hour, he circumnavigates the globe more than a dozen times a day. This gives Kelly the opportunity to see and photograph various geographical locations on Earth. In fact, part of his job while in space is to capture images of Earth for scientific observations.

Follow @StationCDRKelly on Twitter. Each Wednesday, Kelly will tweet a picture and ask the public to identify the place depicted in the photo. The first person to identify the place correctly will win an autographed copy of the picture. Kelly plans to continue posting weekly contest photos until he returns from the space station in March 2016.

As NASA embarks on an ambitious journey to Mars, the agency is looking for your innovative and creative ideas to help make the journey possible! The public is invited to share their ideas, in detail, for developing the elements of space pioneering necessary to establish a continuous human presence on the Red Planet. These ideas could include shelter, food, water, breathable air, communication, exercise, social interactions and medicine, but NASA encourages participants to consider elements beyond these examples.

NASA’s efforts for sending humans to Mars are well underway, with rovers exploring the planet’s surface and spacecraft monitoring Mars from orbit. The International Space Station is testing systems and serving as a lab to learn more about the health impacts of extended space travel. NASA is testing and developing its next generation of launch and crew vehicles — the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crewed spacecraft.

Given spacecraft limitations on weight and volume — and a minimum 500 days between resupply opportunities — a mission to Mars that is not dependent on Earth for resources requires innovative solutions.

NASA seeks technical submissions that describe the development of capabilities and operations necessary, in both the near- and long-term, to advance this bold journey. Submissions may consist of proposed approaches, capabilities, systems, or a set of integrated systems that enable or enhance a sustained human presence on Mars. Solutions should include the assumptions, analysis and data that justify their value. Submissions should include a process to develop, test, implement, and operate the system or capability.

NASA will judge submissions on relevance, creativity, simplicity, resource efficiency, feasibility, comprehensiveness and scalability. NASA expects to make up to three awards at a minimum of $5,000 each from a total award pool of $15,000.

The National AeroSpace Training and Research, or NASTAR, Center is hosting a series of teacher professional development programs throughout the month of July. Here’s your chance to experience acceleration in a centrifuge, pilot an airplane simulator, or explore the gas laws in an altitude chamber. Each one-day workshop is worth eight hours of continuing education.

The NASTAR Center is located in Southampton, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Philadelphia. The center is an Affiliate Member of the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium. Funding from the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium supports these programs, so they are offered at no cost to teachers.

Arizona State University’s Mars Education Program is hosting three training opportunities for educators interested in learning how to facilitate NASA’s Mars Student Imaging Project. Help your students learn about science by being the scientists and conducting research on another planet — Mars! The Mars Student Imaging Project is designed specifically for the Next Generation Science Standards and embeds 21st Century Skills.

Learn how you can facilitate this project in your classroom. You don’t need any background in planets or geology to participate. This is project-based learning, and your students will learn how science works by formulating research questions, collecting and analyzing data, and reporting their findings to NASA scientists. Students’ work will be driven by their own interests about Mars!

The Mars Student Imaging Project is appropriate for grades 5-12.

A live training session will take place at the Arizona State University campus in Tempe, Arizona, July 8-9, 2015. The training fee is $10, and participants will earn eight hours of professional development credit. For more information and to register to attend, visit http://marsed.asu.edu/msip/at-asu-training-2015.

Two in-depth, virtual training sessions also will be offered. These sessions are free, and participants will earn eight hours of professional development credit.

New Horizons, the fastest spacecraft ever launched, rocketed atop an Atlas V from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station more than nine years ago. Now days away from the Pluto Flyby, Chuck Tatro, Launch Site Integration branch chief for NASA’s Launch Services Program, joins NASA Education for a special live-streamed event from the Digital Learning Network. With Pluto on the horizon, join us for a look back at where the journey began and count down to the historic first close-up view of the dwarf planet. Submit questions via Twitter using #askDLN or via email to DLiNfochannel@gmail.com.

The 60-minute event will be webcast on the NASA DLiNfo Channel on July 9, 2015, at 1 p.m. EDT.

Call for Proposals — Early Stage Innovations NASA Research Announcement

NASA is seeking proposals from universities for early-stage technology development that will support the agency’s long-term plans for human exploration of Mars and scientific study of our solar system and beyond. The Early Stage Innovations NASA Research Announcement calls for innovative space technology proposals that could benefit NASA’s space program, other government agencies and the greater aerospace community.

The proposals may cover transformative space technologies in different fields, including planetary exploration capabilities, such as payload technologies for assistive free-flyers and robotic mobility technologies for the surfaces of icy moons. They also may cover material science, such as discrete cellular materials assembly, repair and reconfiguration, and computationally guided structural nanomaterials design.

Other topics could include optical communication for space using integrated photonics, atmospheric entry modeling development using data from the first flight test of NASA’s Orion spacecraft in December 2014, and high-voltage power management and distribution electronics for space applications.

The agency expects to make approximately 12 awards this fall, with total award amounts of as much as $500,000. Research and development efforts will take place over two to three years.

Only accredited U.S. universities may submit proposals under this solicitation. The deadline for submitting final proposals is July 10, 2015.

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is offering tours that take visitors behind the scenes and inside certain research facilities. Glenn scientists and engineers serve as guides. Tours will be offered each month through October 2015. Tours are free of charge for groups and individuals on an advance reservation basis. Visitor parking is also available free of charge.

A tour bus departs from Glenn’s main gate every hour beginning at 10 a.m. The last tour departs at 1 p.m. Each tour lasts about 45 minutes and is followed by a stop at Glenn’s Gift Shop.

Glenn’s 2015 Tour Schedule

July 11, 2015 — Breeze by a Wind Tunnel: Tour the Abe Silverstein Supersonic Wind Tunnel. This facility has conducted supersonic propulsion testing on aircraft components such as inlets, nozzles and engines. It is ideally suited for launch vehicle tests and other fuel-burning applications.

Aug. 1, 2015 — See Things a Different Way: Check out Glenn’s Graphics and Visualization, or GVIS, and the Reconfigurable User-interface and Virtual Reality Exploration, or GRUVE, Laboratories. The GVIS Lab uses advanced computer input and output devices paired with a variety of natural user interface devices and 3-D displays. The GRUVE lab is used to analyze data obtained either by computer simulation or from research test facilities.

Sept. 12, 2015 — Go to the Extreme: Join us on a tour through Glenn’s Extreme Environments Rig, or GEER. As NASA ventures through the solar system and beyond, spacecraft will experience hostile environments of Venus and other planetary bodies. Temperatures can reach hundreds of degrees. Air pressure is crushing, and the toxic atmosphere is thick. GEER is designed to simulate those temperatures and pressure extremes and accurately reproduce the atmospheric compositions of bodies in the solar system. GEER is currently in its commissioning phase for operations simulating Venus’ surface temperature, pressure and chemistry.

Oct. 3, 2015 — Explore Locomotion on Planets: Come explore the Simulated Lunar Operations facility, which is home to a 60-foot-long, 20-foot-wide sandpit filled with simulated lunar soil and a lunar rover test bed. Other areas simulate Martian soil conditions. Research in this facility will help NASA develop the components of rovers capable of traveling long distances and investigating planetary surfaces during future human and robotic missions to keep NASA’s journey to Mars moving forward.

NASA and the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, known as America Makes, are holding a new $2.25 million competition to design and build a 3-D printed habitat for deep space exploration, including the agency’s journey to Mars. The multi-phase 3-D Printed Habitat Challenge, part of NASA’s Centennial Challenges program, is designed to advance the additive construction technology needed to create sustainable housing solutions for Earth and beyond.

The first phase of the competition, a design competition, calls on participants to develop state-of-the-art architectural concepts that take advantage of the unique capabilities 3-D printing offers. The top 30 submissions will be judged, and a prize purse of $50,000 will be awarded at the 2015 World Maker Faire in New York.

The deadline to submit a registration packet for the design competition phase is July 15, 2015.

The second phase of the competition is divided into two levels. The Structural Member Competition (Level 1) focuses on the fabrication technologies needed to manufacture structural components from a combination of indigenous materials and recyclables, or indigenous materials alone. The On-Site Habitat Competition (Level 2) challenges competitors to fabricate full-scale habitats using indigenous materials or indigenous materials combined with recyclables. Both levels open for registration Sept. 26, and each carries a $1.1 million prize.

The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, share the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.

Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures are also streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.

The next lecture in the series is:

Discovery at Mars
Event Date: July 16 and July 17, 2015, at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2015&month=7
July 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of Mariner 4, the first spacecraft to successfully fly by the planet Mars. After a half-century of exploring the Red Planet, scientists continue to be surprised by findings there. Join Blaine Baggett, director of the Office of Communication and Education at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, for an evening to celebrate the past, survey the present and ponder the future possibilities of discovery at Mars.

NASA and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Foundation are challenging K-12 students to create a model of a container for space using 3-D modeling software. Astronauts need containers of all kinds — from advanced containers for studying fruit flies to simple containers for collecting Mars rocks or storing an astronaut’s food. The ability to 3-D print containers in space — on demand — will let humans venture farther into space. That’s why we are challenging students to start designing for space now.

Design entries could be for a container designed for microgravity on the International Space Station or a container designed for future astronauts on Mars! Space is a big place, but your imagination is even bigger. Multiple prizes, based on age groups, are available.

Entries must be submitted by Aug. 2, 2015.

The Design a Space Tool Challenge is the second in a series of challenges where students in grades K-12 create and submit a digital 3-D model of a container that they think astronauts might need in space. Future Engineers is a multiyear education initiative that consists of 3-D space challenges and curriculum videos that parents and educators can use to get kids designing today.

NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Stewards Education Project is hosting a free climate-science workshop for formal and informal educators on Aug. 5, 2015, at the NOAA Science Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Participants will hear from and interact with climate science, education and communication experts.

The workshop will focus on an introduction to global climate models exploring the subject of climate change in the same way that research scientists do. Simulations and activities for modeling regional and/or topical impacts of climate change will be shared with a goal of connecting educators and their students/audiences to the best-available, science-based information and resources about climate change.

Attendance is limited and availability will be on a first come, first serve basis, so register early. Participation is free, but attendees are responsible for arranging their own transportation, lodging and meals unless otherwise indicated in workshop details.

All attendees will receive a certificate acknowledging their participation in the workshop as well as the number of professional development hours they have engaged in.

The American Geosciences Institute is sponsoring a series of contests to celebrate Earth Science Week 2015. This year’s celebration takes place Oct. 11-17, 2015.

Earth Science Week 2015 Photography Contest — Open to All Ageshttp://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/photography/index.html
Geoscientists study our planet’s geosphere (land), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), and biosphere (living things). These spheres — or Earth systems — continually affect and influence one another. With a camera, you can capture evidence of the dynamic impact of change processes in your home, neighborhood, school, workplace or local public spaces. In a photo, show at least one Earth system affecting another Earth system in your community.

Earth Science Week 2015 Visual Arts Contest — Open to Students in Grades K-5http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/visualarts/index.html
Earth science is the study of Earth systems — land, water, air and living things. Scientists pay special attention to the ways these things affect each other, such as the way wind shapes the landscape or falling rain nourishes plants. Use artwork to show how land, water, air and living things interact in the world around you.

Earth Science Week 2015 Essay Contest — Open to Students in Grades 6-9http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/essay/index.html
Since the earliest hand-drawn maps and diagrams, “visualization” has been an important way of explaining and understanding the interactions of land, water, air and living things. Earth scientists today use more sophisticated technology to monitor and represent these Earth systems — the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. In an original essay no more than 300 words in length, explain one way that geoscientists’ use of cutting-edge visualization is advancing Earth science today.

The entry deadline for all three contests is Oct. 16, 2015. Visit the contest websites for full details.

If you have any questions about these contests, please email the Earth Science Week staff at info@earthsciweek.org.

Space Racers® is a popular, original animated TV series that provides young children with exposure to key aspects of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, curricula. Produced in collaboration with NASA experts, the series follows a group of talented young spaceship cadets at the Stardust Bay Space Academy. Kids will travel with speedy Eagle, strong Hawk, smart Robyn, brave Starling and competitive Raven as they soar through the solar system learning about the power of scientific investigation and observation, the wonders of space exploration, and the importance of working as a team. NASA served as a technical consultant for Space Racers.

The Space Racers Educator’s Toolkit, developed in cooperation with WNET Education, includes a DVD with 13 animated episodes, four live-action segments, and a CD-ROM filled with corresponding lesson plans and activities. These resources are ideal for use with students in Pre-K through 3rd grade.

NASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. Simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description to register.

NASA Engineering Design Process 101: An Introduction to Classroom Application
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-8Event Date: June 18, 2015, at 6 p.m. EDT
Learn more about the engineering design process and its application to real-world problem solving. Explore NASA design challenges and other NASA STEM classroom resources. Engineering design is a common topic across each grade level in the Next Generation Science Standards and an important concept in understanding the world around us.
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/130414

The Spectrum of Astronomy
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-12Event Date: June 24, 2015, at 3 p.m. EDT
Learn about resources for teaching the full range of astronomical observation from infrared to gamma ray. This webinar also will include discussion of the NASA missions making astronomical observations and the information learned in each subset of the electromagnetic spectrum. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/130153

ISS Across the Curriculum Series: Space Faring — The Radiation Challenge
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-12Event Date: June 25, 2015, at 3 p.m. EDT
Design your own spacecraft that will shield astronauts from radiation. Discuss with colleagues how the space radiation studies on the International Space Station will influence the design of the Orion spacecraft that will journey to Mars. Radiation is an interdisciplinary science — biology, physics, astrophysics, planetary science and engineering design — that examines the effects of radiation on living systems. Explore the engineering design process and its application to real-world problem solving. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/131355

The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, share the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.

Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures are also streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.

The next lecture in the series is:

On Sea Ice
Event Date: June 18 and June 19, 2015, at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2015&month=6
Join NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory senior research scientist Dr. Ron Kwok as he discusses the study of sea ice and draws on the perspective of his 25 years of involvement in this important, small-but-growing corner of Earth science. While the decline in Arctic sea ice coverage and the smaller opposing trend in the Southern Ocean have occupied the headlines, there are many processes that contribute to the character of ice cover.

Join NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the “NASA on the Square” event! This open-house-style event will take place surrounding the Madison County Courthouse on the Square in downtown Huntsville on Saturday, June 20, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CDT.

Visitors can experience the excitement and mystery of space exploration; see and touch the mighty RS-25 rocket engine that will power humans farther in space than ever before; check out how Marshall does 3-D printing; and talk with engineers and scientists who are leading the way to new discoveries.

NASA astronaut T.J. Creamer, the first astronaut to become a payload operations director at the Marshall center, will visit with the public throughout the day.

At 10:45 a.m., astronaut Creamer and Marshall Space Flight Center Director Patrick Scheuermann will lead kids and families from the Marshall Child Development Center in a parade around the Square.

At 11 a.m., there will be a short program at the music stage with songs from MCDC preschoolers and remarks from Creamer; Scheuermann; Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle; and Chad Emerson, CEO of Downtown Huntsville Inc.

Astronaut Creamer will present highlights from his missions to the International Space Station at 11:45 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the first floor of the Huntsville Times building at 200 Westside Square. Attendance is limited to the first 120 people to sign up at the NASA on the Square information booth on the southwest corner of the Square.

NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.

June 22-25, 2015 — American Center for Physics in College Park, MarylandNew Faculty Workshop for Physics and Astronomy

NASA’s Office of Education Minority University Research and Education Project, or MUREP, is seeking proposals from American Indian and Alaskan Native Serving Institutions to develop and implement an evidence-driven recruitment method/model to address the shortage of computer science graduates in historically underrepresented and underserved populations.

Proposals for the NASA MUREP American Indian and Alaskan Native STEM Partnership, or MAIANSP, solicitation must address one of the following as a primary focus: (1) developing the American Indian and Alaskan Native STEM workforce; (2) strengthening STEM curricula at American Indian and Alaskan Native Serving Institutions; or (3) increasing the pool of underrepresented and underserved students in computer sciences. Successful proposals will be funded as multiyear cooperative agreements.

Institutions planning to prepare a proposal package for NASA MAIANSP are required to submit a Notice of Intent, or NOIs, to propose. NOIs assist NASA in assessing the response to this cooperative agreement notice and determining the expertise required for the proposal review panel. NOIs should be submitted by the authorized organization representative in the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, or NSPIRES, by April 24, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Interested proposers must register with NSPIRES before it can be accessed for use.

Since NOIs submitted after the deadline may still be useful to NASA, late NOIs may be submitted and will be accepted.

Questions about this solicitation may be directed to Torry Johnson at NASAMAIANSP@nasaprs.com.
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“Where Over the World Is Astronaut Scott Kelly?” Geography From Space Trivia Contest

During his year-long stay on the International Space Station, astronaut Scott Kelly wants to test your knowledge of the world through a geography trivia game on Twitter. Traveling more than 220 miles above Earth, and at 17,500 miles per hour, he circumnavigates the globe more than a dozen times a day. This gives Kelly the opportunity to see and photograph various geographical locations on Earth. In fact, part of his job while in space is to capture images of Earth for scientific observations.

Follow @StationCDRKelly on Twitter. Each Wednesday, Kelly will tweet a picture and ask the public to identify the place depicted in the photo. The first person to identify the place correctly will win an autographed copy of the picture. Kelly plans to continue posting weekly contest photos until he returns from the space station in March 2016.

NASA’s Office of Education Minority University Research and Education Project, or MUREP, is seeking proposals from U.S organizations and institutions that align with the four White House Executive Orders for Minority Institutions to strengthen curriculum and curricular pathways in STEM and to attract, retain and support the success of underrepresented students in STEM degree programs.

Proposals for the NASA MUREP Other Opportunities solicitation must address one of the following as a primary focus: (1) increasing the number of minorities in STEM education areas relevant to NASA (2) effectively implementing NASA’s educational goals and objectives using NASA’s unique assets and capabilities (3) increasing the number of available STEM courses and curricular pathways (4) attracting, retaining and supporting the success of students in STEM degree programs and subsequently in NASA-related careers, or (5) increasing the number of students who complete STEM certificates/degrees from backgrounds that are historically underrepresented in STEM. Successful proposals will be funded as multiyear cooperative agreements.

Institutions planning to prepare a proposal package for the NASA MUREP Other Opportunities solicitation are asked to submit a Notice of Intent to propose. NOIs assist NASA in assessing the response to this cooperative agreement notice and determining the expertise required for the proposal review panel. NOIs should be submitted by the authorized organization representative into the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, or NSPIRES, by April 24, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Those interested in submitting a proposal must register with NSPIRES before it can be accessed for use.

Since NOIs submitted after the deadline may still be useful to NASA, late NOIs may be submitted and will be accepted.

NASA is looking for the next generation of scientists, engineers and innovators. To jump-start the future of potential explorers, Women@NASA has created a mentoring project that offers a one-of-a-kind experience for middle school students. Participants will explore the possibilities of a career in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The project will feature one-on-one mentoring from NASA employees. Participants will complete online lessons with their mentors while virtually connected through Skype or Google Chat.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens in grades 5-8 or the home-school equivalent. The mentoring project will take place over a five-week period during the summer.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope’s release into space. The 2015 Exploring Space Lectures will feature world-class scholars discussing some of the most innovative scientific research conducted using Hubble and exploring the insights the telescope has uncovered about our universe. Presenters will also discuss the telescope’s serviceability, design, administration, execution, and place in history.

The Hubble Space Telescope: The Agony and the Ecstasy
June 30, 2015, at 8 p.m. EDTThe Hubble Space Telescope is the most famous scientific instrument ever built, but its remarkable history has seen numerous ups and downs. Professor Robert Smith, author of the definitive history of the Hubble Space Telescope, will explore some of the most exciting and telling episodes in this rich history.

The lecture will be held at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in the District of Columbia, and attendance is free. However, tickets are required. Come early to see a free film and to meet the lecturer. The lecture will be webcast live for free viewing. Lecture videos will be archived.

The U.S. Department of Education is accepting proposals for the “First in the World” grant competition. The goal of this highly competitive program is to build evidence for what works in postsecondary education by testing the effectiveness of innovative strategies to improve student persistence and completion outcomes. The department will award grants in development and validation tiers.

NASA’s Office of Education is accepting new proposals under the Education Opportunities in NASA STEM, or EONS, 2014 NASA Research Announcement. Proposals are being solicited from Minority Serving Institutions to plan, coordinate and evaluate MUREP Educator Institutes that will bring pre-service and alternative-route STEM educators from Minority Serving Institutions across the U.S. to NASA centers annually for a one-week professional development session.

Institutions planning to prepare a proposal package for the NASA MUREP Other Opportunities solicitation are asked to submit a Notice of Intent to propose. NOIs assist NASA in assessing the response to this cooperative agreement notice and in determining the expertise required for the proposal review panel. NOIs should be submitted by the authorized organization representative into the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, or NSPIRES, by April 24, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Those interested in submitting a proposal must register with NSPIRES before it can be accessed for use.

Since NOIs submitted after the deadline may still be useful to NASA, late NOIs may be submitted and will be accepted.

Questions about this solicitation may be directed to Chris Copelan at NASAMEI@nasaprs.com.
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Cast Your Vote in the Ceres “Bright Spot” Mystery Poll

On March 6, 2015, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft began orbiting Ceres, the largest body in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Even before the spacecraft arrived at the dwarf planet, images revealed mysterious bright spots that captivated scientists and observers alike.

Can you guess what’s creating those unusual bright spots on Ceres? Until Dawn gets a closer look over the next few months, it’s anyone’s guess what those spots could be.

The NASA Postdoctoral Program, or NPP, supports NASA’s goal to expand scientific understanding of the Earth and the universe in which we live.

Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP fellows complete one- to three-year fellowships that offer scientists and engineers unique opportunities to conduct research in fields of science relevant to NASA.

As a result, NPP fellows contribute to national priorities for scientific exploration, confirm NASA’s leadership in fundamental research and complement the efforts of NASA’s partners in the national science community.

U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and foreign nationals eligible for J-1 status as a research scholar may apply. Applicants must have completed a doctorate or equivalent degree before beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing degree requirements. Applicants who earned the Ph.D. more than five years before the deadline date are categorized as senior fellows; all applicants, no matter their category, must apply and become eligible for an NPP award via the same process.

Interested applicants may apply by one of three annual application deadlines: March 1, July 1 and November 1.

Call for Abstracts:31st American Society for Gravitational and Space Research Conference

A call for abstracts has been released for the 31st annual American Society for Gravitational and Space Research, or ASGSR, Conference taking place Nov. 11-14, 2015, in Alexandria, Virginia.

Applicants must submit abstracts electronically no later than July 1, 2015, using the abstract submittal form and instructions posted on the ASGSR website. All submitted abstracts will be peer-reviewed by the conference organizing committee.

All accepted abstracts from students will be presented as posters or orally in competitions. The student poster competition will be judged by society members, and monetary awards will be given during the banquet scheduled for Nov. 14, 2015. Students must be present at the banquet to receive the monetary award. Student competition winners will be encouraged to submit an extended abstract or a communication article to the ASGSR journal “Gravitational and Space Research.” All students should coordinate with their advisors when submitting an abstract for the conference.

Student travel assistance of up to $500 is available on a limited basis. Students requesting consideration for travel assistance should check the box on the abstract submittal form.

As NASA embarks on an ambitious journey to Mars, the agency is looking for your innovative and creative ideas to help make the journey possible! The public is invited to share their ideas, in detail, for developing the elements of space pioneering necessary to establish a continuous human presence on the Red Planet. These ideas could include shelter, food, water, breathable air, communication, exercise, social interactions and medicine, but NASA encourages participants to consider elements beyond these examples.

NASA’s efforts for sending humans to Mars are well underway, with rovers exploring the planet’s surface and spacecraft monitoring Mars from orbit. The International Space Station is testing systems and serving as a lab to learn more about the health impacts of extended space travel. NASA is testing and developing its next generation of launch and crew vehicles — the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crewed spacecraft.

Given spacecraft limitations on weight and volume — and a minimum 500 days between resupply opportunities — a mission to Mars that is not dependent on Earth for resources requires innovative solutions.

NASA seeks technical submissions that describe the development of capabilities and operations necessary, in both the near- and long-term, to advance this bold journey. Submissions may consist of proposed approaches, capabilities, systems, or a set of integrated systems that enable or enhance a sustained human presence on Mars. Solutions should include the assumptions, analysis and data that justify their value. Submissions should include a process to develop, test, implement, and operate the system or capability.

NASA will judge submissions on relevance, creativity, simplicity, resource efficiency, feasibility, comprehensiveness and scalability. NASA expects to make up to three awards at a minimum of $5,000 each from a total award pool of $15,000.

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, mission is sponsoring a pair of workshops for educators of students in grades 6-9. Each workshop will focus on lunar science, exploration and how our understanding of the moon is evolving with the new data from current and recent lunar missions.

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has allowed scientists to measure the coldest known place in the solar system, map the surface of the moon in unprecedented detail and accuracy, find evidence of recent lunar geologic activity, characterize the radiation environment around the moon and its potential effects on future lunar explorers and much, much more!

Workshop participants will learn about these and other recent discoveries. They will reinforce their understanding of lunar science concepts; gain tools to help address common student misconceptions about the moon; and interact with lunar scientists and engineers. Participants will work with LRO data and learn how to bring the data and information to their students using hands-on activities aligned with grades 6-9 Next Generation Science Standards.

The workshops will take place July 6-10, 2015, and July 13-17, 2015, at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to tour the LRO Mission Operation Center and the Goddard spacecraft testing facilities.

The National AeroSpace Training and Research, or NASTAR, Center is hosting a series of teacher professional development programs throughout the month of July. Here’s your chance to experience acceleration in a centrifuge, pilot an airplane simulator, or explore the gas laws in an altitude chamber. Each one-day workshop is worth eight hours of continuing education.

The NASTAR Center is located in Southampton, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Philadelphia. The center is an Affiliate Member of the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium. Funding from the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium supports these programs, so they are offered at no cost to teachers.

Arizona State University’s Mars Education Program is hosting three training opportunities for educators interested in learning how to facilitate NASA’s Mars Student Imaging Project. Help your students learn about science by being the scientists and conducting research on another planet — Mars! The Mars Student Imaging Project is designed specifically for the Next Generation Science Standards and embeds 21st Century Skills.

Learn how you can facilitate this project in your classroom. You don’t need any background in planets or geology to participate. This is project-based learning, and your students will learn how science works by formulating research questions, collecting and analyzing data, and reporting their findings to NASA scientists. Students’ work will be driven by their own interests about Mars!

The Mars Student Imaging Project is appropriate for grades 5-12.

A live training session will take place at the Arizona State University campus in Tempe, Arizona, July 8-9, 2015. The training fee is $10, and participants will earn eight hours of professional development credit. For more information and to register to attend, visit http://marsed.asu.edu/msip/at-asu-training-2015.

Two in-depth, virtual training sessions also will be offered. These sessions are free, and participants will earn eight hours of professional development credit.

NASA is seeking proposals from universities for early-stage technology development that will support the agency’s long-term plans for human exploration of Mars and scientific study of our solar system and beyond. The Early Stage Innovations NASA Research Announcement calls for innovative space technology proposals that could benefit NASA’s space program, other government agencies and the greater aerospace community.

The proposals may cover transformative space technologies in different fields, including planetary exploration capabilities, such as payload technologies for assistive free-flyers and robotic mobility technologies for the surfaces of icy moons. They also may cover material science, such as discrete cellular materials assembly, repair and reconfiguration, and computationally guided structural nanomaterials design.

Other topics could include optical communication for space using integrated photonics, atmospheric entry modeling development using data from the first flight test of NASA’s Orion spacecraft in December 2014, and high-voltage power management and distribution electronics for space applications.

The agency expects to make approximately 12 awards this fall, with total award amounts of as much as $500,000. Research and development efforts will take place over two to three years.

Only accredited U.S. universities may submit proposals under this solicitation. The deadline for submitting final proposals is July 10, 2015.

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is offering tours that take visitors behind the scenes and inside certain research facilities. Glenn scientists and engineers serve as guides. Tours will be offered each month through October 2015. Tours are free of charge for groups and individuals on an advance reservation basis. Visitor parking is also available free of charge.

A tour bus departs from Glenn’s main gate every hour beginning at 10 a.m. The last tour departs at 1 p.m. Each tour lasts about 45 minutes and is followed by a stop at Glenn’s Gift Shop.

Glenn’s 2015 Tour Schedule

July 11, 2015 — Breeze by a Wind Tunnel: Tour the Abe Silverstein Supersonic Wind Tunnel. This facility has conducted supersonic propulsion testing on aircraft components such as inlets, nozzles and engines. It is ideally suited for launch vehicle tests and other fuel-burning applications.

Aug. 1, 2015 — See Things a Different Way: Check out Glenn’s Graphics and Visualization, or GVIS, and the Reconfigurable User-interface and Virtual Reality Exploration, or GRUVE, Laboratories. The GVIS Lab uses advanced computer input and output devices paired with a variety of natural user interface devices and 3-D displays. The GRUVE lab is used to analyze data obtained either by computer simulation or from research test facilities.

Sept. 12, 2015 — Go to the Extreme: Join us on a tour through Glenn’s Extreme Environments Rig, or GEER. As NASA ventures through the solar system and beyond, spacecraft will experience hostile environments of Venus and other planetary bodies. Temperatures can reach hundreds of degrees. Air pressure is crushing, and the toxic atmosphere is thick. GEER is designed to simulate those temperatures and pressure extremes and accurately reproduce the atmospheric compositions of bodies in the solar system. GEER is currently in its commissioning phase for operations simulating Venus’ surface temperature, pressure and chemistry.

Oct. 3, 2015 — Explore Locomotion on Planets: Come explore the Simulated Lunar Operations facility, which is home to a 60-foot-long, 20-foot-wide sandpit filled with simulated lunar soil and a lunar rover test bed. Other areas simulate Martian soil conditions. Research in this facility will help NASA develop the components of rovers capable of traveling long distances and investigating planetary surfaces during future human and robotic missions to keep NASA’s journey to Mars moving forward.

NASA and the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, known as America Makes, are holding a new $2.25 million competition to design and build a 3-D printed habitat for deep space exploration, including the agency’s journey to Mars. The multi-phase 3-D Printed Habitat Challenge, part of NASA’s Centennial Challenges program, is designed to advance the additive construction technology needed to create sustainable housing solutions for Earth and beyond.

The first phase of the competition, a design competition, calls on participants to develop state-of-the-art architectural concepts that take advantage of the unique capabilities 3-D printing offers. The top 30 submissions will be judged, and a prize purse of $50,000 will be awarded at the 2015 World Maker Faire in New York.

The deadline to submit a registration packet for the design competition phase is July 15, 2015.

The second phase of the competition is divided into two levels. The Structural Member Competition (Level 1) focuses on the fabrication technologies needed to manufacture structural components from a combination of indigenous materials and recyclables, or indigenous materials alone. The On-Site Habitat Competition (Level 2) challenges competitors to fabricate full-scale habitats using indigenous materials or indigenous materials combined with recyclables. Both levels open for registration Sept. 26, and each carries a $1.1 million prize.

NASA and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Foundation are challenging K-12 students to create a model of a container for space using 3-D modeling software. Astronauts need containers of all kinds — from advanced containers for studying fruit flies to simple containers for collecting Mars rocks or storing an astronaut’s food. The ability to 3-D print containers in space — on demand — will let humans venture farther into space. That’s why we are challenging students to start designing for space now.

Design entries could be for a container designed for microgravity on the International Space Station or a container designed for future astronauts on Mars! Space is a big place, but your imagination is even bigger. Multiple prizes, based on age groups, are available.

Entries must be submitted by Aug. 2, 2015.

The Design a Space Tool Challenge is the second in a series of challenges where students in grades K-12 create and submit a digital 3-D model of a container that they think astronauts might need in space. Future Engineers is a multiyear education initiative that consists of 3-D space challenges and curriculum videos that parents and educators can use to get kids designing today.

The workshop will focus on an introduction to global climate models exploring the subject of climate change in the same way that research scientists do. Simulations and activities for modeling regional and/or topical impacts of climate change will be shared with a goal of connecting educators and their students/audiences to the best-available, science-based information and resources about climate change.

Attendance is limited and availability will be on a first come, first serve basis, so register early. Participation is free, but attendees are responsible for arranging their own transportation, lodging and meals unless otherwise indicated in workshop details.

All attendees will receive a certificate acknowledging their participation in the workshop as well as the number of professional development hours they have engaged in.

On Sept. 19, 2015, the whole world has the chance to admire and celebrate our moon on International Observe the Moon Night. And you can join in the fun!

Check the map of registered observation events at http://observethemoonnight.org to see if an event is being held near you. If not, please consider registering and hosting one and inviting your community.

Are you worried about cloudy weather obscuring your view of the moon?The “Moon as Art” collection, chosen by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, team, gives the public the opportunity to see the moon as others have seen it for centuries — as an inspirational muse. But this time, also see the moon from the perspective of being in orbit with a series of eyes that see different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Learn more at http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/moonartgallery.html.

Additional beautiful, high-resolution images of the moon’s surface taken by LRO’s cameras are available at http://lroc.sese.asu.edu.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Lora.V.Bleacher@nasa.gov.___________________________________________________________________________________________________

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope’s release into space. The 2015 Exploring Space Lectures will feature world-class scholars discussing some of the most innovative scientific research conducted using Hubble and exploring the insights the telescope has uncovered about our universe. Presenters will also discuss the telescope’s serviceability, design, administration, execution, and place in history.

Hubble Telescope: Looking Back in Time at the Distant Universe
June 11, 2015, at 8 p.m. EDTOne of the Hubble Space Telescope’s greatest triumphs has been the clear view it has given of very distant galaxies. Astronomers Sandra Faber and Robert Williams will discuss how this clearer view has enabled astronomers to piece together the formation of structure in the universe.

The Hubble Space Telescope: The Agony and the Ecstasy
June 30, 2015, at 8 p.m. EDTThe Hubble Space Telescope is the most famous scientific instrument ever built, but its remarkable history has seen numerous ups and downs. Professor Robert Smith, author of the definitive history of the Hubble Space Telescope, will explore some of the most exciting and telling episodes in this rich history.

The lectures will be held at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in the District of Columbia, and attendance is free. However, tickets are required. Come early to see a free film and to meet the lecturer. The lectures will be webcast live for free viewing. Lecture videos will be archived.

NASA’s Office of Education is accepting new proposals under the Education Opportunities in NASA STEM, or EONS, 2014 NASA Research Announcement. Proposals are being solicited from Minority Serving Institutions, or MSIs, to create and implement a NASA MUREP Aerospace Academy to increase participation and retention of historically underserved and underrepresented K-12 youth in the areas of STEM.

NASA’s Office of Education Minority University Research and Education Project, or MUREP, is seeking proposals from Minority Serving Community Colleges to strengthen curriculum and curricular pathways in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, and attract, retain and support the success of underrepresented students in STEM degree programs.

Proposals for the NASA MUREP Community College Curriculum Improvement, or MC3I, solicitation must contain plans for and be guided by curricula improvements, and address one of the following as a primary focus: (1) improving curriculum in STEM vocational certificate programs, associate of arts/science degree programs, and/or transfer programs; (2) strengthening and diversifying the STEM pipeline through high school partnerships; or (3) expanding opportunities in engineering. Proposers are required to partner with a NASA center or facility, and are highly encouraged to partner with other institutions, such as K-12 school districts and four-year colleges/universities. Successful proposals will be funded as multiyear cooperative agreements.

Institutions planning to prepare a proposal package for NASA MC3I are required to submit a Notice of Intent, or NOIs, to propose. NOIs assist NASA in assessing the response to this cooperative agreement notice and to determine the expertise required for the proposal review panel. NOIs should be submitted by the authorized organization representative in the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, or NSPIRES, by April 14, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Interested proposers must register with NSPIRES before it can be accessed for use.

Since NOIs submitted after the deadline may still be useful to NASA, late NOIs may be submitted and will be accepted.

NASA Educator Professional Development Sessions at Essence Festival 2015

NASA Education will be offering a no-cost, exclusive series of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, educator professional development onsite workshops during the Essence Festival taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana, July 1-3, 2015.

NASA education specialists from around the country will present the workshops. Each 2.5-hour workshop session will focus on a specific NASA STEM education topic. Each session will integrate NASA missions, real-world data, lessons, activities and online resources that will enhance upper elementary and middle school curriculum with the excitement of aerospace exploration.

Workshops will be held at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, #1 Canal Street, in New Orleans. Registration will be limited to 30 educators of grades 4-8 for each session. Registration will close on June 12, 2015.

1 – 3:30 p.m. — Space Technology Drives ExplorationTechnology drives exploration. Sustained investments in NASA technology advance the agency’s capabilities in space exploration, science and aeronautics. NASA seeks to improve our ability to access and travel through space; land more mass in more locations throughout the solar system; live and work in deep space and on planetary bodies; build next-generation air vehicles; and transform the ability to observe the universe and answer profound questions in earth and space sciences. NASA’s technology supports the U.S. economy by generating tangible benefits for life on Earth. NASA is investing in the future of innovation.

Thursday, July 2, 20159 – 11:30 a.m. — Journey to MarsMars is a rich destination for scientific discovery, robotic exploration and human exploration as we expand our presence into the solar system. Its formation and evolution are comparable to Earth, helping us learn more about our own planet’s history and future. Mars had conditions suitable for life in its past. Future exploration could uncover evidence of life, answering one of the fundamental mysteries of the cosmos: Does life exist beyond Earth? Join us on the journey to Mars. Today our robotic scientific explorers are blazing the trail and will aid humans to pioneer the next giant leap in exploration.

1 – 3:30 p.m. — Aeronautics – Come Fly With UsNASA is with you when you fly. We’re committed to transforming aviation by reducing its environmental impact, maintaining safety, and revolutionizing aircraft shapes and propulsion. Thanks to advancements in aeronautics developed by NASA, today’s aviation industry is better equipped than ever to safely and efficiently transport all those passengers to their destinations. In fact, every U.S. aircraft flying today and every U.S. air traffic control tower uses NASA-developed technology in some way.

Friday, July 3, 20159 – 11:30 a.m. — Our Solar System and BeyondWe’re Out There. NASA’s exploration spans the universe — observing the sun and its effects on Earth, delving deep into our solar system, looking beyond to worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe. As its missions explore our solar system and search for new worlds, NASA is finding water in surprising places. Water is but one piece of our search for habitable planets and life beyond Earth, yet it links many seemingly unrelated worlds in surprising ways. Everywhere imaginable, NASA is out there.

1 – 3:30 p.m. — The International Space Station: Living and Working In SpaceThe International Space Station is a unique place — a convergence of science, technology and human innovation that demonstrates new technologies and makes research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. The space station remains the springboard to NASA’s next great leap in exploration, enabling research and technology developments that will benefit human and robotic exploration of destinations beyond low-Earth orbit, including asteroids and Mars. The station is the blueprint for global cooperation — one that enables a multinational partnership and advances shared goals in space exploration.

NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.

June 13-14, 2015 — South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South CarolinaCAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop for Current and Future Astronomy and Space Science Instructors

June 22-25, 2015 — American Center for Physics in College Park, MarylandNew Faculty Workshop for Physics and Astronomy

The Citizen science Asteroid Data, Education, and Tools, or CADET, is a joint solicitation of the Near Earth Objects Program within NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and the Asteroid Grand Challenge program within NASA’s Office of the Chief Technologist. CADET seeks innovative proposals to adapt, develop, and Web-enable software tools for asteroid data analysis. CADET seeks to make them accessible to and easily usable by nonprofessionals, including amateur astronomers, students and citizen scientists.

The CADET program has these specific goals:

— Through agile development and other innovative methods, adapt, further develop and Web-enable asteroid data analysis software to increase the productivity of Near Earth Objects Program and Asteroid Grand Challenge program research endeavors and extend the state-of-the practice in those endeavors
–Develop easily usable and understandable software tools through the application of human-centered design best practices, including user research studies, systematic usability testing, and evaluation
— Integrate advances in information technology with advances in cyber learning (i.e., what is known about how people learn with technology), and integrate these software tools into learning environments so their potential is fulfilled
— Foster multidisciplinary collaborations that span the NASA science, computer science, design and education disciplines.

Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 9 to the International Space Station

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education, in partnership with NanoRacks LLC, announce an authentic science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, opportunity for school districts across the U.S. and space station partner nations. The newest flight opportunity, Mission 9 to the International Space Station, or ISS, gives students across a community the ability to design and propose real experiments to fly in low-Earth orbit on the ISS. This opportunity is part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, or SSEP.

Each participating community will receive a real microgravity research minilaboratory capable of supporting a single microgravity experiment and all launch services to fly the minilab to the space station in spring 2016 and return it to Earth. An experiment design competition in each community — engaging typically 300+ students — allows student teams to design and propose real experiments vying for their community′s reserved minilab. Content resources for teachers and students support foundational instruction on science in microgravity and experimental design. Additional SSEP programming leverages the experiment design competition to engage the community, embracing a learning community model for STEM education.

This competition is open to students in grades 5-12 and college. Informal education groups and organizations are also encouraged to participate. The deadline for interested communities to inquire about the program has been extended to June 15, 2015. The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education is available to help interested communities in the U.S. secure the needed funding.

SSEP is enabled through a strategic partnership with NanoRacks LLC working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (http://www.iss-casis.org/) is a national partner on SSEP. To view a list of all SSEP national partners, visit http://ssep.ncesse.org/national-partners/.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email SSEP National Program Director Jeff Goldstein at jeffgoldstein@ncesse.org.

NASA invites eligible U.S. educational institutions, museums and other organizations to screen and request historical artifacts of significance to spaceflight. This is the 27th screening of artifacts since 2009.

Eligible schools, universities, museums, libraries and planetariums may view the artifacts and request specific items through June 15, 2015. Online registrations should include an assigned Department of Education number. Registration also may be made through the requester’s State Agency for Surplus Property office. For instructions, to register and to view and request artifacts online, visit http://gsaxcess.gov/NASAWel.htm.

The artifacts are free of charge and are offered “as-is.” Organizations must cover shipping costs and any handling fees. Shipping fees on smaller items will be relatively inexpensive; however, larger items may involve extensive disassembly, preparation, shipping and reassembly costs. NASA will work closely with eligible organizations to address any unique handling costs.

NASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. Simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description to register.

Eyes on the Solar System: Pluto
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-12Event Date: June 16, 2015, at 5 p.m. EDT
“Eyes on the Solar System” is a 3-D environment full of real NASA mission data. Explore the cosmos from your computer. Fly with NASA’s New Horizon spacecraft as it approaches Pluto and takes very first close up pictures of the dwarf planet and its moons. Learn how to use this free software and see the entire solar system moving in real time.
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/131330

ISS Across the Curriculum Series: Solar Energy for Space Exploration
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date: June 17, 2015, at 3 p.m. EDT
Solar Energy for Space Exploration is a series of activities designed to introduce your students to the basics of electrical circuits while using the development of space habitats as a thematic backdrop. Updated online resources and adaptation of classroom activities will be discussed.
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/130151

NASA Engineering Design Process 101: An Introduction to Classroom Application
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-8Event Date: June 18, 2015, at 6 p.m. EDT
Learn more about the engineering design process and its application to real-world problem solving. Explore NASA design challenges and other NASA STEM classroom resources. Engineering design is a common topic across each grade level in the Next Generation Science Standards and an important concept in understanding the world around us.
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/130414

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“Where Over the World Is Astronaut Scott Kelly?” Geography From Space Trivia Contest

During his year-long stay on the International Space Station, astronaut Scott Kelly wants to test your knowledge of the world through a geography trivia game on Twitter. Traveling more than 220 miles above Earth, and at 17,500 miles per hour, he circumnavigates the globe more than a dozen times a day. This gives Kelly the opportunity to see and photograph various geographical locations on Earth. In fact, part of his job while in space is to capture images of Earth for scientific observations.

Follow @StationCDRKelly on Twitter. Each Wednesday, Kelly will tweet a picture and ask the public to identify the place depicted in the photo. The first person to identify the place correctly will win an autographed copy of the picture. Kelly plans to continue posting weekly contest photos until he returns from the space station in March 2016.

White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities — 2015 All-Star Students

The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities works to promote HBCU excellence, innovation and sustainability. The Initiative will recognize current HBCU students for their dedication to academics, leadership and civic engagement as 2015 HBCU All-Star Students.

The appointment period will last approximately one year. During this time, HBCU All-Stars will serve as ambassadors of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities by providing outreach opportunities and communications to their fellow students about the value of education and the Initiative as a networking resource. Through social media and personal and professional relationships with community-based organizations, students will share promising and proven practices that support opportunities for all young people to realize their educational and career potential. The program will provide an opportunity to participate in regional and national events as well as webchats with Initiative staff and other professionals from a wide range of disciplines that support a spirit of engagement and personal and professional development.

Nominees must be current undergraduate or graduate students at an HBCU. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 17, 2015.

The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, share the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.

Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures are also streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.

The next lecture in the series is:

On Sea Ice
Event Date: June 18 and June 19, 2015, at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2015&month=6
Join NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory senior research scientist Dr. Ron Kwok as he discusses the study of sea ice and draws on the perspective of his 25 years of involvement in this important, small-but-growing corner of Earth science. While the decline in Arctic sea ice coverage and the smaller opposing trend in the Southern Ocean have occupied the headlines, there are many processes that contribute to the character of ice cover.

NASA’s Office of Education Minority University Research and Education Project, or MUREP, is seeking proposals from American Indian and Alaskan Native Serving Institutions to develop and implement an evidence-driven recruitment method/model to address the shortage of computer science graduates in historically underrepresented and underserved populations.

Proposals for the NASA MUREP American Indian and Alaskan Native STEM Partnership, or MAIANSP, solicitation must address one of the following as a primary focus: (1) developing the American Indian and Alaskan Native STEM workforce; (2) strengthening STEM curricula at American Indian and Alaskan Native Serving Institutions; or (3) increasing the pool of underrepresented and underserved students in computer sciences. Successful proposals will be funded as multiyear cooperative agreements.

Institutions planning to prepare a proposal package for NASA MAIANSP are required to submit a Notice of Intent, or NOIs, to propose. NOIs assist NASA in assessing the response to this cooperative agreement notice and determining the expertise required for the proposal review panel. NOIs should be submitted by the authorized organization representative in the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, or NSPIRES, by April 24, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Interested proposers must register with NSPIRES before it can be accessed for use.

Since NOIs submitted after the deadline may still be useful to NASA, late NOIs may be submitted and will be accepted.

Questions about this solicitation may be directed to Torry Johnson at NASAMAIANSP@nasaprs.com.
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2014 NASA EONS Solicitation — New MUREP Other Opportunities Appendix

NASA’s Office of Education Minority University Research and Education Project, or MUREP, is seeking proposals from U.S organizations and institutions that align with the four White House Executive Orders for Minority Institutions to strengthen curriculum and curricular pathways in STEM and to attract, retain and support the success of underrepresented students in STEM degree programs.

Proposals for the NASA MUREP Other Opportunities solicitation must address one of the following as a primary focus: (1) increasing the number of minorities in STEM education areas relevant to NASA (2) effectively implementing NASA’s educational goals and objectives using NASA’s unique assets and capabilities (3) increasing the number of available STEM courses and curricular pathways (4) attracting, retaining and supporting the success of students in STEM degree programs and subsequently in NASA-related careers, or (5) increasing the number of students who complete STEM certificates/degrees from backgrounds that are historically underrepresented in STEM. Successful proposals will be funded as multiyear cooperative agreements.

Institutions planning to prepare a proposal package for the NASA MUREP Other Opportunities solicitation are asked to submit a Notice of Intent to propose. NOIs assist NASA in assessing the response to this cooperative agreement notice and determining the expertise required for the proposal review panel. NOIs should be submitted by the authorized organization representative into the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, or NSPIRES, by April 24, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Those interested in submitting a proposal must register with NSPIRES before it can be accessed for use.

Since NOIs submitted after the deadline may still be useful to NASA, late NOIs may be submitted and will be accepted.

The U.S. Department of Education is accepting proposals for the “First in the World” grant competition. The goal of this highly competitive program is to build evidence for what works in postsecondary education by testing the effectiveness of innovative strategies to improve student persistence and completion outcomes. The department will award grants in development and validation tiers.

NASA’s Office of Education is accepting new proposals under the Education Opportunities in NASA STEM, or EONS, 2014 NASA Research Announcement. Proposals are being solicited from Minority Serving Institutions to plan, coordinate and evaluate MUREP Educator Institutes that will bring pre-service and alternative-route STEM educators from Minority Serving Institutions across the U.S. to NASA centers annually for a one-week professional development session.

Institutions planning to prepare a proposal package for the NASA MUREP Other Opportunities solicitation are asked to submit a Notice of Intent to propose. NOIs assist NASA in assessing the response to this cooperative agreement notice and in determining the expertise required for the proposal review panel. NOIs should be submitted by the authorized organization representative into the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, or NSPIRES, by April 24, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Those interested in submitting a proposal must register with NSPIRES before it can be accessed for use.

Since NOIs submitted after the deadline may still be useful to NASA, late NOIs may be submitted and will be accepted.

Questions about this solicitation may be directed to Chris Copelan at NASAMEI@nasaprs.com.
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Cast Your Vote in the Ceres “Bright Spot” Mystery Poll

On March 6, 2015, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft began orbiting Ceres, the largest body in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Even before the spacecraft arrived at the dwarf planet, images revealed mysterious bright spots that captivated scientists and observers alike.

Can you guess what’s creating those unusual bright spots on Ceres? Until Dawn gets a closer look over the next few months, it’s anyone’s guess what those spots could be.

The NASA Postdoctoral Program, or NPP, supports NASA’s goal to expand scientific understanding of the Earth and the universe in which we live.

Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP fellows complete one- to three-year fellowships that offer scientists and engineers unique opportunities to conduct research in fields of science relevant to NASA.

As a result, NPP fellows contribute to national priorities for scientific exploration, confirm NASA’s leadership in fundamental research and complement the efforts of NASA’s partners in the national science community.

U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and foreign nationals eligible for J-1 status as a research scholar may apply. Applicants must have completed a doctorate or equivalent degree before beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing degree requirements. Applicants who earned the Ph.D. more than five years before the deadline date are categorized as senior fellows; all applicants, no matter their category, must apply and become eligible for an NPP award via the same process.

Interested applicants may apply by one of three annual application deadlines: March 1, July 1 and November 1.

Call for Abstracts: 31st American Society for Gravitational and Space Research Conference

A call for abstracts has been released for the 31st annual American Society for Gravitational and Space Research, or ASGSR, Conference taking place Nov. 11-14, 2015, in Alexandria, Virginia.

Applicants must submit abstracts electronically no later than July 1, 2015, using the abstract submittal form and instructions posted on the ASGSR website. All submitted abstracts will be peer-reviewed by the conference organizing committee.

All accepted abstracts from students will be presented as posters or orally in competitions. The student poster competition will be judged by society members, and monetary awards will be given during the banquet scheduled for Nov. 14, 2015. Students must be present at the banquet to receive the monetary award. Student competition winners will be encouraged to submit an extended abstract or a communication article to the ASGSR journal “Gravitational and Space Research.” All students should coordinate with their advisors when submitting an abstract for the conference.

Student travel assistance of up to $500 is available on a limited basis. Students requesting consideration for travel assistance should check the box on the abstract submittal form.

As NASA embarks on an ambitious journey to Mars, the agency is looking for your innovative and creative ideas to help make the journey possible! The public is invited to share their ideas, in detail, for developing the elements of space pioneering necessary to establish a continuous human presence on the Red Planet. These ideas could include shelter, food, water, breathable air, communication, exercise, social interactions and medicine, but NASA encourages participants to consider elements beyond these examples.

NASA’s efforts for sending humans to Mars are well underway, with rovers exploring the planet’s surface and spacecraft monitoring Mars from orbit. The International Space Station is testing systems and serving as a lab to learn more about the health impacts of extended space travel. NASA is testing and developing its next generation of launch and crew vehicles — the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crewed spacecraft.

Given spacecraft limitations on weight and volume — and a minimum 500 days between resupply opportunities — a mission to Mars that is not dependent on Earth for resources requires innovative solutions.

NASA seeks technical submissions that describe the development of capabilities and operations necessary, in both the near- and long-term, to advance this bold journey. Submissions may consist of proposed approaches, capabilities, systems, or a set of integrated systems that enable or enhance a sustained human presence on Mars. Solutions should include the assumptions, analysis and data that justify their value. Submissions should include a process to develop, test, implement, and operate the system or capability.

NASA will judge submissions on relevance, creativity, simplicity, resource efficiency, feasibility, comprehensiveness and scalability. NASA expects to make up to three awards at a minimum of $5,000 each from a total award pool of $15,000.

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, mission is sponsoring a pair of workshops for educators of students in grades 6-9. Each workshop will focus on lunar science, exploration and how our understanding of the moon is evolving with the new data from current and recent lunar missions.

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has allowed scientists to measure the coldest known place in the solar system, map the surface of the moon in unprecedented detail and accuracy, find evidence of recent lunar geologic activity, characterize the radiation environment around the moon and its potential effects on future lunar explorers and much, much more!

Workshop participants will learn about these and other recent discoveries. They will reinforce their understanding of lunar science concepts; gain tools to help address common student misconceptions about the moon; and interact with lunar scientists and engineers. Participants will work with LRO data and learn how to bring the data and information to their students using hands-on activities aligned with grades 6-9 Next Generation Science Standards.

The workshops will take place July 6-10, 2015, and July 13-17, 2015, at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to tour the LRO Mission Operation Center and the Goddard spacecraft testing facilities.

The National AeroSpace Training and Research, or NASTAR, Center is hosting a series of teacher professional development programs throughout the month of July. Here’s your chance to experience acceleration in a centrifuge, pilot an airplane simulator, or explore the gas laws in an altitude chamber. Each one-day workshop is worth eight hours of continuing education.

The NASTAR Center is located in Southampton, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Philadelphia. The center is an Affiliate Member of the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium. Funding from the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium supports these programs, so they are offered at no cost to teachers.

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is offering tours that take visitors behind the scenes and inside certain research facilities. Glenn scientists and engineers serve as guides. Tours will be offered each month through October 2015. Tours are free of charge for groups and individuals on an advance reservation basis. Visitor parking is also available free of charge.

A tour bus departs from Glenn’s main gate every hour beginning at 10 a.m. The last tour departs at 1 p.m. Each tour lasts about 45 minutes and is followed by a stop at Glenn’s Gift Shop.

Glenn’s 2015 Tour Schedule

July 11, 2015 — Breeze by a Wind Tunnel: Tour the Abe Silverstein Supersonic Wind Tunnel. This facility has conducted supersonic propulsion testing on aircraft components such as inlets, nozzles and engines. It is ideally suited for launch vehicle tests and other fuel-burning applications.

Aug. 1, 2015 — See Things a Different Way: Check out Glenn’s Graphics and Visualization, or GVIS, and the Reconfigurable User-interface and Virtual Reality Exploration, or GRUVE, Laboratories. The GVIS Lab uses advanced computer input and output devices paired with a variety of natural user interface devices and 3-D displays. The GRUVE lab is used to analyze data obtained either by computer simulation or from research test facilities.

Sept. 12, 2015 — Go to the Extreme: Join us on a tour through Glenn’s Extreme Environments Rig, or GEER. As NASA ventures through the solar system and beyond, spacecraft will experience hostile environments of Venus and other planetary bodies. Temperatures can reach hundreds of degrees. Air pressure is crushing, and the toxic atmosphere is thick. GEER is designed to simulate those temperatures and pressure extremes and accurately reproduce the atmospheric compositions of bodies in the solar system. GEER is currently in its commissioning phase for operations simulating Venus’ surface temperature, pressure and chemistry.

Oct. 3, 2015 — Explore Locomotion on Planets: Come explore the Simulated Lunar Operations facility, which is home to a 60-foot-long, 20-foot-wide sandpit filled with simulated lunar soil and a lunar rover test bed. Other areas simulate Martian soil conditions. Research in this facility will help NASA develop the components of rovers capable of traveling long distances and investigating planetary surfaces during future human and robotic missions to keep NASA’s journey to Mars moving forward.

NASA and the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, known as America Makes, are holding a new $2.25 million competition to design and build a 3-D printed habitat for deep space exploration, including the agency’s journey to Mars. The multi-phase 3-D Printed Habitat Challenge, part of NASA’s Centennial Challenges program, is designed to advance the additive construction technology needed to create sustainable housing solutions for Earth and beyond.

The first phase of the competition, a design competition, calls on participants to develop state-of-the-art architectural concepts that take advantage of the unique capabilities 3-D printing offers. The top 30 submissions will be judged, and a prize purse of $50,000 will be awarded at the 2015 World Maker Faire in New York.

The deadline to submit a registration packet for the design competition phase is July 15, 2015.

The second phase of the competition is divided into two levels. The Structural Member Competition (Level 1) focuses on the fabrication technologies needed to manufacture structural components from a combination of indigenous materials and recyclables, or indigenous materials alone. The On-Site Habitat Competition (Level 2) challenges competitors to fabricate full-scale habitats using indigenous materials or indigenous materials combined with recyclables. Both levels open for registration Sept. 26, and each carries a $1.1 million prize.

NASA and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Foundation are challenging K-12 students to create a model of a container for space using 3-D modeling software. Astronauts need containers of all kinds — from advanced containers for studying fruit flies to simple containers for collecting Mars rocks or storing an astronaut’s food. The ability to 3-D print containers in space — on demand — will let humans venture farther into space. That’s why we are challenging students to start designing for space now.

Design entries could be for a container designed for microgravity on the International Space Station or a container designed for future astronauts on Mars! Space is a big place, but your imagination is even bigger. Multiple prizes, based on age groups, are available.

Entries must be submitted by Aug. 2, 2015.

The Design a Space Tool Challenge is the second in a series of challenges where students in grades K-12 create and submit a digital 3-D model of a container that they think astronauts might need in space. Future Engineers is a multiyear education initiative that consists of 3-D space challenges and curriculum videos that parents and educators can use to get kids designing today.

The workshop will focus on an introduction to global climate models exploring the subject of climate change in the same way that research scientists do. Simulations and activities for modeling regional and/or topical impacts of climate change will be shared with a goal of connecting educators and their students/audiences to the best-available, science-based information and resources about climate change.

Attendance is limited and availability will be on a first come, first serve basis, so register early. Participation is free, but attendees are responsible for arranging their own transportation, lodging and meals unless otherwise indicated in workshop details.

All attendees will receive a certificate acknowledging their participation in the workshop as well as the number of professional development hours they have engaged in.

“Where Over the World Is Astronaut Scott Kelly?” Geography From Space Trivia Contest

During his year-long stay on the International Space Station, astronaut Scott Kelly wants to test your knowledge of the world through a geography trivia game on Twitter. Traveling more than 220 miles above Earth, and at 17,500 miles per hour, he circumnavigates the globe more than a dozen times a day. This gives Kelly the opportunity to see and photograph various geographical locations on Earth. In fact, part of his job while in space is to capture images of Earth for scientific observations.

Follow @StationCDRKelly on Twitter. Each Wednesday, Kelly will tweet a picture and ask the public to identify the place depicted in the photo. The first person to identify the place correctly will win an autographed copy of the picture. Kelly plans to continue posting weekly contest photos until he returns from the space station in March 2016.

On March 6, 2015, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft began orbiting Ceres, the largest body in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Even before the spacecraft arrived at the dwarf planet, images revealed mysterious bright spots that captivated scientists and observers alike.

Can you guess what’s creating those unusual bright spots on Ceres? Until Dawn gets a closer look over the next few months, it’s anyone’s guess what those spots could be.

NASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. Simply click on the provided link to register.

Rockets 2 Racecars: Educators Go Green at the Pocono Raceway
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date: June 4, 2015, at 3:30 p.m. EDT
Get your students revved up about science, technology, engineering and mathematics with NASA’s Rockets 2 Racecars (R2R) STEM Education webinar series! Discover how NASA uses the power of the sun in our missions, such as the International Space Station and Mars Exploration Rovers. Join us live at the Solar Pocono Raceway. This webinar is guaranteed to brighten your day!
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/127493

Hubble Space Telescope: A Look Back in Time
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12Event Date: June 4, 2015, at 7 p.m. EDT
How did it all start? Who is Edwin Hubble? Why do we need a space telescope? Relive the realization of a dream as the Hubble Space Telescope was launched on board space shuttle Discovery. Learn how fuzzy photos required a spectacular repair mission. See examples from deep space such as stars, planets, galaxies and beyond. Make real-world connections with everyday technologies as you learn about NASA STEM resources to build and launch satellites using the engineering design process.
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/129027

ISS Across the Curriculum: The Changing Altitude of the International Space Station
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-8Event Date: June 8, 2015, at 7 p.m. EDT
Learn how to integrate mathematics and science together with this Space Math Interactive Webinar. The webinar will focus on using NASA press releases, video clips and supplemental inquiry problems to teach the math and science concepts that relate to the International Space Station.
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/129328

Rockets 2 Racecars: May the Force Uplift You … Or Not!
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-10Event Date: June 9, 2015, at 5 p.m. EDT
Get your students revved up about science, technology, engineering and mathematics with NASA’s Rockets 2 Racecars (R2R) STEM Education series. When you’re traveling at speeds of 200 miles an hour, it’s important to understand that faster moving air creates lower pressure! Air traveling around a curved surface speeds up, creating an area of low pressure. Discover NASA-inspired hands-on activities about air pressure and air flow to help students understand Bernoulli’s principles.
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/127740

ISS Across the Curriculum: Primarily Physics!
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-2Event Date: June 10, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Discover NASA physics activities designed to help K-2 students explore art, mathematics, reading and play!
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/126726

ISS Across the Curriculum: Social Studies and Geography in Space
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-8Event Date: June 11, 2015, at 6 p.m. EDT
The International Space Station is more than just a science and mathematics mission. It is a unique, orbiting laboratory that travels around the world and across your curriculum. This webinar will explore how the space station can be integrated into social studies and geography curriculum with NASA inquiry lessons, online resources and teaching strategies. Let the space station bring space and the world around us together in your classroom.
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/129777

The National Space Biomedical Research Institute, or NSBRI, is accepting fellowship applications for the First Award Fellowship Program. The one-year fellowships are available in any U.S. laboratory carrying out space-related biomedical or biotechnological research.

Applicants are required to submit proposals with the support of a mentor and an institution, and all proposals will be evaluated by a peer-review committee. Selected applicants receive a stipend, allowance for health insurance and travel funds for related scientific meetings.

This year’s applicants also can request to be considered to spend part of the fellowship in Russia, via a program involving NSBRI and the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow.

NSBRI, funded by NASA, is a consortia of institutions studying the health risks related to long-duration spaceflight and developing the medical technologies needed for long missions. The institute’s science, technology and education projects take place at more than 60 institutions across the United States.

For more information about NSBRI’s First Award Program, please visit http://www.nsbri.org/firstaward/.
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Free Tours of Facilities at NASA’s Glenn Research Center

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is offering tours that take visitors behind the scenes and inside certain research facilities. Glenn scientists and engineers serve as guides. Tours will be offered each month through October 2015. Tours are free of charge for groups and individuals on an advance reservation basis. Visitor parking is also available free of charge.

A tour bus departs from Glenn’s main gate every hour beginning at 10 a.m. The last tour departs at 1 p.m. Each tour lasts about 45 minutes and is followed by a stop at Glenn’s Gift Shop.

Glenn’s 2015 Tour Schedule

June 6, 2015 — Glenn’s Portal to the Space Station: Take a journey through the Telescience Support Center. This secure, multipurpose facility is designed to provide dedicated support for simultaneous training, simulations and real-time operations of space experiments on the International Space Station. Principal investigators, project scientists and payload operators can send commands and receive telemetry and science data from their payload hardware operating on board the station.

July 11, 2015 — Breeze by a Wind Tunnel: Tour the Abe Silverstein Supersonic Wind Tunnel. This facility has conducted supersonic propulsion testing on aircraft components such as inlets, nozzles and engines. It is ideally suited for launch vehicle tests and other fuel-burning applications.

Aug. 1, 2015 — See Things a Different Way: Check out Glenn’s Graphics and Visualization, or GVIS, and the Reconfigurable User-interface and Virtual Reality Exploration, or GRUVE, Laboratories. The GVIS Lab uses advanced computer input and output devices paired with a variety of natural user interface devices and 3-D displays. The GRUVE lab is used to analyze data obtained either by computer simulation or from research test facilities.

Sept. 12, 2015 — Go to the Extreme: Join us on a tour through Glenn’s Extreme Environments Rig, or GEER. As NASA ventures through the solar system and beyond, spacecraft will experience hostile environments of Venus and other planetary bodies. Temperatures can reach hundreds of degrees. Air pressure is crushing, and the toxic atmosphere is thick. GEER is designed to simulate those temperatures and pressure extremes and accurately reproduce the atmospheric compositions of bodies in the solar system. GEER is currently in its commissioning phase for operations simulating Venus’ surface temperature, pressure and chemistry.

Oct. 3, 2015 — Explore Locomotion on Planets: Come explore the Simulated Lunar Operations facility, which is home to a 60-foot-long, 20-foot-wide sandpit filled with simulated lunar soil and a lunar rover test bed. Other areas simulate Martian soil conditions. Research in this facility will help NASA develop the components of rovers capable of traveling long distances and investigating planetary surfaces during future human and robotic missions to keep NASA’s journey to Mars moving forward.

Have you ever talked to an astronomer? To participate in an informal conversation with an astronomy researcher, join the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum for a series of Astronomy Chats. The researchers work at a variety of institutions, including the Smithsonian, NASA, Harvard University and the U.S. Naval Research Lab. If they cannot come in person, they join by video chat.

The conversation may be on any topic of interest to you. Visitors frequently ask questions like, “What’s an average day like for you?” or “What kind of telescopes have you used?”

NASA is extending an opportunity to college and university teams to propose small spacecraft technology projects that they can conduct in collaboration with NASA researchers. The Smallsat Technology Partnerships solicitation is being issued by the Small Spacecraft Technology Program as an appendix to the Space Technology Mission Directorate’s NASA Research Announcement for 2015.

NASA expects to competitively select about eight projects from among those proposed by university teams, which can form proposal partnerships with researchers from any of NASA’s 10 field centers. Awards for each project will include up to $100,000 to each university team per year. In addition, NASA will fund the time for one NASA employee to work with each selected team. Project funding is for one year with the potential to continue for a second year.

Proposed projects could involve laboratory work to advance a particular spacecraft technology or the development of a new smallsat. NASA will be accepting proposals in four topic areas: 1) precise attitude control and pointing systems for cubesats, 2) power generation, energy storage and thermal management systems for small spacecraft, 3) simple low-cost deorbit systems, and 4) communications and tracking systems and networks.

Proposals are due June 8, 2015.

The appendix document is available through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System website at http://go.nasa.gov/1HsPKb7.

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center is seeking proposals for participation the 2015 Educator Professional Development Institute. The institute will take place June 29-July 2, 2015, at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

The theme for this year’s workshop will be Engineering Enabling Science. The institute will focus on how engineering is infused within Goddard’s different science missions and how informal educators can incorporate these topics, concepts and content into experiences for their students and communities. Throughout the institute, participants will work toward developing an engineering unit focused on an underserved and underrepresented middle school-aged audience. The unit will be appropriate for use in their afterschool, museum, or informal learning setting.

Successful applicants will receive a $500 stipend to assist with travel, lodging and purchase of any additional materials. Limited space may be available for participants who wish to fund their participation and not receive a stipend. Successful applicants also will be provided with one NASA’s BEST (Beginning Engineering, Science, and Technology) engineering kit of materials to begin their programming after participation in the institute.

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center is seeking proposals for participation in NASA’s Network of Small and Medium Size Museums Workshop. The workshop will take place Aug. 19-21, 2015, at Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia.

The theme for this year’s workshop will be Engineering Enabling Science. The workshop will focus on how engineering is infused within Goddard’s different science divisions and suborbital science research and how museums can incorporate these topics, concepts, and missions into their programming, exhibits, and community.

Goddard will provide an honorarium of $2000 to each participating institution to establish a new exhibit, exhibit component or new program, or refresh an existing program that promotes Goddard’s unique content with a target audience of middle school students. In addition, those submitting successful proposals will receive a $500 stipend to assist with travel, lodging and daily per diem. Limited space may be available for participants who wish to fund their participation.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope’s release into space. The 2015 Exploring Space Lectures will feature world-class scholars discussing some of the most innovative scientific research conducted using Hubble and exploring the insights the telescope has uncovered about our universe. Presenters will also discuss the telescope’s serviceability, design, administration, execution, and place in history.

Hubble Telescope: Looking Back in Time at the Distant Universe
June 11, 2015, at 8 p.m. EDTOne of the Hubble Space Telescope’s greatest triumphs has been the clear view it has given of very distant galaxies. Astronomers Sandra Faber and Robert Williams will discuss how this clearer view has enabled astronomers to piece together the formation of structure in the universe.

The Hubble Space Telescope: The Agony and the Ecstasy
June 30, 2015, at 8 p.m. EDTThe Hubble Space Telescope is the most famous scientific instrument ever built, but its remarkable history has seen numerous ups and downs. Professor Robert Smith, author of the definitive history of the Hubble Space Telescope, will explore some of the most exciting and telling episodes in this rich history.

The lectures will be held at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in the District of Columbia, and attendance is free. However, tickets are required. Come early to see a free film and to meet the lecturer. The lectures will be webcast live for free viewing. Lecture videos will be archived.

NASA’s Office of Education is accepting new proposals under the Education Opportunities in NASA STEM, or EONS, 2014 NASA Research Announcement. Proposals are being solicited from Minority Serving Institutions, or MSIs, to create and implement a NASA MUREP Aerospace Academy to increase participation and retention of historically underserved and underrepresented K-12 youth in the areas of STEM.

NASA’s Office of Education Minority University Research and Education Project, or MUREP, is seeking proposals from Minority Serving Community Colleges to strengthen curriculum and curricular pathways in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, and attract, retain and support the success of underrepresented students in STEM degree programs.

Proposals for the NASA MUREP Community College Curriculum Improvement, or MC3I, solicitation must contain plans for and be guided by curricula improvements, and address one of the following as a primary focus: (1) improving curriculum in STEM vocational certificate programs, associate of arts/science degree programs, and/or transfer programs; (2) strengthening and diversifying the STEM pipeline through high school partnerships; or (3) expanding opportunities in engineering. Proposers are required to partner with a NASA center or facility, and are highly encouraged to partner with other institutions, such as K-12 school districts and four-year colleges/universities. Successful proposals will be funded as multiyear cooperative agreements.

Institutions planning to prepare a proposal package for NASA MC3I are required to submit a Notice of Intent, or NOIs, to propose. NOIs assist NASA in assessing the response to this cooperative agreement notice and to determine the expertise required for the proposal review panel. NOIs should be submitted by the authorized organization representative in the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, or NSPIRES, by April 14, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Interested proposers must register with NSPIRES before it can be accessed for use.

Since NOIs submitted after the deadline may still be useful to NASA, late NOIs may be submitted and will be accepted.

NASA Educator Professional Development Sessions at Essence Festival 2015

NASA Education will be offering a no-cost, exclusive series of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, educator professional development onsite workshops during the Essence Festival taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana, July 1-3, 2015.

NASA education specialists from around the country will present the workshops. Each 2.5-hour workshop session will focus on a specific NASA STEM education topic. Each session will integrate NASA missions, real-world data, lessons, activities and online resources that will enhance upper elementary and middle school curriculum with the excitement of aerospace exploration.

Workshops will be held at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, #1 Canal Street, in New Orleans. Registration will be limited to 30 educators of grades 4-8 for each session. Registration will close on June 12, 2015.

1 – 3:30 p.m. — Space Technology Drives ExplorationTechnology drives exploration. Sustained investments in NASA technology advance the agency’s capabilities in space exploration, science and aeronautics. NASA seeks to improve our ability to access and travel through space; land more mass in more locations throughout the solar system; live and work in deep space and on planetary bodies; build next-generation air vehicles; and transform the ability to observe the universe and answer profound questions in earth and space sciences. NASA’s technology supports the U.S. economy by generating tangible benefits for life on Earth. NASA is investing in the future of innovation.

Thursday, July 2, 20159 – 11:30 a.m. — Journey to MarsMars is a rich destination for scientific discovery, robotic exploration and human exploration as we expand our presence into the solar system. Its formation and evolution are comparable to Earth, helping us learn more about our own planet’s history and future. Mars had conditions suitable for life in its past. Future exploration could uncover evidence of life, answering one of the fundamental mysteries of the cosmos: Does life exist beyond Earth? Join us on the journey to Mars. Today our robotic scientific explorers are blazing the trail and will aid humans to pioneer the next giant leap in exploration.

1 – 3:30 p.m. — Aeronautics – Come Fly With UsNASA is with you when you fly. We’re committed to transforming aviation by reducing its environmental impact, maintaining safety, and revolutionizing aircraft shapes and propulsion. Thanks to advancements in aeronautics developed by NASA, today’s aviation industry is better equipped than ever to safely and efficiently transport all those passengers to their destinations. In fact, every U.S. aircraft flying today and every U.S. air traffic control tower uses NASA-developed technology in some way.

Friday, July 3, 20159 – 11:30 a.m. — Our Solar System and BeyondWe’re Out There. NASA’s exploration spans the universe — observing the sun and its effects on Earth, delving deep into our solar system, looking beyond to worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe. As its missions explore our solar system and search for new worlds, NASA is finding water in surprising places. Water is but one piece of our search for habitable planets and life beyond Earth, yet it links many seemingly unrelated worlds in surprising ways. Everywhere imaginable, NASA is out there.

1 – 3:30 p.m. — The International Space Station: Living and Working In SpaceThe International Space Station is a unique place — a convergence of science, technology and human innovation that demonstrates new technologies and makes research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. The space station remains the springboard to NASA’s next great leap in exploration, enabling research and technology developments that will benefit human and robotic exploration of destinations beyond low-Earth orbit, including asteroids and Mars. The station is the blueprint for global cooperation — one that enables a multinational partnership and advances shared goals in space exploration.

NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.

June 13-14, 2015 — South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South CarolinaCAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop for Current and Future Astronomy and Space Science Instructors

June 22-25, 2015 — American Center for Physics in College Park, MarylandNew Faculty Workshop for Physics and Astronomy

The Citizen science Asteroid Data, Education, and Tools, or CADET, is a joint solicitation of the Near Earth Objects Program within NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and the Asteroid Grand Challenge program within NASA’s Office of the Chief Technologist. CADET seeks innovative proposals to adapt, develop, and Web-enable software tools for asteroid data analysis. CADET seeks to make them accessible to and easily usable by nonprofessionals, including amateur astronomers, students and citizen scientists.

The CADET program has these specific goals:

— Through agile development and other innovative methods, adapt, further develop and Web-enable asteroid data analysis software to increase the productivity of Near Earth Objects Program and Asteroid Grand Challenge program research endeavors and extend the state-of-the practice in those endeavors
–Develop easily usable and understandable software tools through the application of human-centered design best practices, including user research studies, systematic usability testing, and evaluation
— Integrate advances in information technology with advances in cyber learning (i.e., what is known about how people learn with technology), and integrate these software tools into learning environments so their potential is fulfilled
— Foster multidisciplinary collaborations that span the NASA science, computer science, design and education disciplines.

Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 9 to the International Space Station

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education, in partnership with NanoRacks LLC, announce an authentic science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, opportunity for school districts across the U.S. and space station partner nations. The newest flight opportunity, Mission 9 to the International Space Station, or ISS, gives students across a community the ability to design and propose real experiments to fly in low-Earth orbit on the ISS. This opportunity is part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, or SSEP.

Each participating community will receive a real microgravity research minilaboratory capable of supporting a single microgravity experiment and all launch services to fly the minilab to the space station in spring 2016 and return it to Earth. An experiment design competition in each community — engaging typically 300+ students — allows student teams to design and propose real experiments vying for their community′s reserved minilab. Content resources for teachers and students support foundational instruction on science in microgravity and experimental design. Additional SSEP programming leverages the experiment design competition to engage the community, embracing a learning community model for STEM education.

This competition is open to students in grades 5-12 and college. Informal education groups and organizations are also encouraged to participate. The deadline for interested communities to inquire about the program has been extended to June 15, 2015. The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education is available to help interested communities in the U.S. secure the needed funding.

SSEP is enabled through a strategic partnership with NanoRacks LLC working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (http://www.iss-casis.org/) is a national partner on SSEP. To view a list of all SSEP national partners, visit http://ssep.ncesse.org/national-partners/.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email SSEP National Program Director Jeff Goldstein at jeffgoldstein@ncesse.org.

NASA invites eligible U.S. educational institutions, museums and other organizations to screen and request historical artifacts of significance to spaceflight. This is the 27th screening of artifacts since 2009.

Eligible schools, universities, museums, libraries and planetariums may view the artifacts and request specific items through June 15, 2015. Online registrations should include an assigned Department of Education number. Registration also may be made through the requester’s State Agency for Surplus Property office. For instructions, to register and to view and request artifacts online, visit http://gsaxcess.gov/NASAWel.htm.

The artifacts are free of charge and are offered “as-is.” Organizations must cover shipping costs and any handling fees. Shipping fees on smaller items will be relatively inexpensive; however, larger items may involve extensive disassembly, preparation, shipping and reassembly costs. NASA will work closely with eligible organizations to address any unique handling costs.

White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities — 2015 All-Star Students

The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities works to promote HBCU excellence, innovation and sustainability. The Initiative will recognize current HBCU students for their dedication to academics, leadership and civic engagement as 2015 HBCU All-Star Students.

The appointment period will last approximately one year. During this time, HBCU All-Stars will serve as ambassadors of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities by providing outreach opportunities and communications to their fellow students about the value of education and the Initiative as a networking resource. Through social media and personal and professional relationships with community-based organizations, students will share promising and proven practices that support opportunities for all young people to realize their educational and career potential. The program will provide an opportunity to participate in regional and national events as well as webchats with Initiative staff and other professionals from a wide range of disciplines that support a spirit of engagement and personal and professional development.

Nominees must be current undergraduate or graduate students at an HBCU. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 17, 2015.

The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, share the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.

Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures are also streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.

The next lecture in the series is:

On Sea Ice
Event Date: June 18 and June 19, 2015, at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2015&month=6
Join NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory senior research scientist Dr. Ron Kwok as he discusses the study of sea ice and draws on the perspective of his 25 years of involvement in this important, small-but-growing corner of Earth science. While the decline in Arctic sea ice coverage and the smaller opposing trend in the Southern Ocean have occupied the headlines, there are many processes that contribute to the character of ice cover.

The U.S. Department of Education is accepting proposals for the “First in the World” grant competition. The goal of this highly competitive program is to build evidence for what works in postsecondary education by testing the effectiveness of innovative strategies to improve student persistence and completion outcomes. The department will award grants in development and validation tiers.

The NASA Postdoctoral Program, or NPP, supports NASA’s goal to expand scientific understanding of the Earth and the universe in which we live.

Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP fellows complete one- to three-year fellowships that offer scientists and engineers unique opportunities to conduct research in fields of science relevant to NASA.

As a result, NPP fellows contribute to national priorities for scientific exploration, confirm NASA’s leadership in fundamental research and complement the efforts of NASA’s partners in the national science community.

U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and foreign nationals eligible for J-1 status as a research scholar may apply. Applicants must have completed a doctorate or equivalent degree before beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing degree requirements. Applicants who earned the Ph.D. more than five years before the deadline date are categorized as senior fellows; all applicants, no matter their category, must apply and become eligible for an NPP award via the same process.

Interested applicants may apply by one of three annual application deadlines: March 1, July 1 and November 1.

Call for Abstracts:31st American Society for Gravitational and Space Research Conference

A call for abstracts has been released for the 31st annual American Society for Gravitational and Space Research, or ASGSR, Conference taking place Nov. 11-14, 2015, in Alexandria, Virginia.

Applicants must submit abstracts electronically no later than July 1, 2015, using the abstract submittal form and instructions posted on the ASGSR website. All submitted abstracts will be peer-reviewed by the conference organizing committee.

All accepted abstracts from students will be presented as posters or orally in competitions. The student poster competition will be judged by society members, and monetary awards will be given during the banquet scheduled for Nov. 14, 2015. Students must be present at the banquet to receive the monetary award. Student competition winners will be encouraged to submit an extended abstract or a communication article to the ASGSR journal “Gravitational and Space Research.” All students should coordinate with their advisors when submitting an abstract for the conference.

Student travel assistance of up to $500 is available on a limited basis. Students requesting consideration for travel assistance should check the box on the abstract submittal form.

As NASA embarks on an ambitious journey to Mars, the agency is looking for your innovative and creative ideas to help make the journey possible! The public is invited to share their ideas, in detail, for developing the elements of space pioneering necessary to establish a continuous human presence on the Red Planet. These ideas could include shelter, food, water, breathable air, communication, exercise, social interactions and medicine, but NASA encourages participants to consider elements beyond these examples.

NASA’s efforts for sending humans to Mars are well underway, with rovers exploring the planet’s surface and spacecraft monitoring Mars from orbit. The International Space Station is testing systems and serving as a lab to learn more about the health impacts of extended space travel. NASA is testing and developing its next generation of launch and crew vehicles — the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crewed spacecraft.

Given spacecraft limitations on weight and volume — and a minimum 500 days between resupply opportunities — a mission to Mars that is not dependent on Earth for resources requires innovative solutions.

NASA seeks technical submissions that describe the development of capabilities and operations necessary, in both the near- and long-term, to advance this bold journey. Submissions may consist of proposed approaches, capabilities, systems, or a set of integrated systems that enable or enhance a sustained human presence on Mars. Solutions should include the assumptions, analysis and data that justify their value. Submissions should include a process to develop, test, implement, and operate the system or capability.

NASA will judge submissions on relevance, creativity, simplicity, resource efficiency, feasibility, comprehensiveness and scalability. NASA expects to make up to three awards at a minimum of $5,000 each from a total award pool of $15,000.

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, mission is sponsoring a pair of workshops for educators of students in grades 6-9. Each workshop will focus on lunar science, exploration and how our understanding of the moon is evolving with the new data from current and recent lunar missions.

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has allowed scientists to measure the coldest known place in the solar system, map the surface of the moon in unprecedented detail and accuracy, find evidence of recent lunar geologic activity, characterize the radiation environment around the moon and its potential effects on future lunar explorers and much, much more!

Workshop participants will learn about these and other recent discoveries. They will reinforce their understanding of lunar science concepts; gain tools to help address common student misconceptions about the moon; and interact with lunar scientists and engineers. Participants will work with LRO data and learn how to bring the data and information to their students using hands-on activities aligned with grades 6-9 Next Generation Science Standards.

The workshops will take place July 6-10, 2015, and July 13-17, 2015, at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to tour the LRO Mission Operation Center and the Goddard spacecraft testing facilities.

The National AeroSpace Training and Research, or NASTAR, Center is hosting a series of teacher professional development programs throughout the month of July. Here’s your chance to experience acceleration in a centrifuge, pilot an airplane simulator, or explore the gas laws in an altitude chamber. Each one-day workshop is worth eight hours of continuing education.

The NASTAR Center is located in Southampton, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Philadelphia. The center is an Affiliate Member of the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium. Funding from the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium supports these programs, so they are offered at no cost to teachers.

Join educators and space enthusiasts around the world to celebrate World Space Week, Oct. 4-10, 2015. This international event commemorates the beginning of the Space Age with the launch of Sputnik 1 on Oct. 4, 1957.

World Space Week is the largest public space event in the world, with celebrations in more than 60 nations. During World Space Week, teachers are encouraged to use space-themed activities.

“Where Over the World Is Astronaut Scott Kelly?” Geography From Space Trivia Contest

During his year-long stay on the International Space Station, astronaut Scott Kelly wants to test your knowledge of the world through a geography trivia game on Twitter. Traveling more than 220 miles above Earth, and at 17,500 miles per hour, he circumnavigates the globe more than a dozen times a day. This gives Kelly the opportunity to see and photograph various geographical locations on Earth. In fact, part of his job while in space is to capture images of Earth for scientific observations.

Follow @StationCDRKelly on Twitter. Each Wednesday, Kelly will tweet a picture and ask the public to identify the place depicted in the photo. The first person to identify the place correctly will win an autographed copy of the picture. Kelly plans to continue posting weekly contest photos until he returns from the space station in March 2016.

On March 6, 2015, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft began orbiting Ceres, the largest body in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Even before the spacecraft arrived at the dwarf planet, images revealed mysterious bright spots that captivated scientists and observers alike.

Can you guess what’s creating those unusual bright spots on Ceres? Until Dawn gets a closer look over the next few months, it’s anyone’s guess what those spots could be.

NASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. Simply click on the provided link to register.

Art and the Cosmic Connection
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-16Event Date: May 28, 2015, at 7 p.m. EDT
Geology meets art! Let you inner geologist use art to recreate craters, mountains, rivers, wind-sculpted landscapes and more. Learn to read planetary images as well as Earth images. Meets Next Generation Science Standards for Earth’s Place in the Universe, Earth Systems, and Social Studies Integrations.
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/123893

Rockets 2 Racecars: Revolutions Around the Universe’s Track — Sharpening Our View of Pluto
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-9Event Date: June 1, 2015, at 5 p.m. EDT
Get your students revved up about science, technology, engineering and mathematics with NASA’s Rockets 2 Racecars (R2R) STEM Education webinar series! Discover how to use racing to explain revolutions and rotations of different celestial bodies in the universe. Learn more about technology development and the historical importance of NASA’s New Horizon’s closest encounter with Pluto.
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/127739

ISS Across the Curriculum: Train Like an Astronaut — Health / PE
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-10Event Date: June 2, 2015, at 7 p.m. EDT
Participants in this webinar will get an overview of how astronauts train for activities in space. Hands-on activities and an interactive website will show teachers how to integrate health concepts into their curriculum.
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/128930

Rockets 2 Racecars: Educators Go Green at the Pocono Raceway
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date: June 4, 2015, at 3:30 p.m. EDT
Get your students revved up about science, technology, engineering and mathematics with NASA’s Rockets 2 Racecars (R2R) STEM Education webinar series! Discover how NASA uses the power of the sun in our missions, such as the International Space Station and Mars Exploration Rovers. Join us live at the Solar Pocono Raceway. This webinar is guaranteed to brighten your day!
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/127493

Hubble Space Telescope: A Look Back in Time
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12Event Date: June 4, 2015, at 7 p.m. EDT
How did it all start? Who is Edwin Hubble? Why do we need a space telescope? Relive the realization of a dream as the Hubble Space Telescope was launched on board space shuttle Discovery. Learn how fuzzy photos required a spectacular repair mission. See examples from deep space such as stars, planets, galaxies and beyond. Make real-world connections with everyday technologies as you learn about NASA STEM resources to build and launch satellites using the engineering design process.
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/129027

The NASA History Program Office is seeking undergraduate and graduate students for fall 2015 internships. The History Program Office maintains archival materials to answer research questions from NASA personnel, journalists, scholars, students at all levels and others from around the world. The division also edits and publishes several books and monographs each year. It maintains a large number of websites on NASA history.

Students of all majors are welcome to apply. While detailed prior knowledge of the aeronautics and space fields is not necessary, a keen interest and some basic familiarity with these topics are needed. Strong research, writing and editing skills are essential. Experience with social media is a plus.

Intern projects are flexible. Typical projects include handling a variety of information requests, writing posts for the NASA history Twitter and Facebook pages, editing historical manuscripts, doing research and writing biographical sketches, and identifying and captioning photos.

If you have questions about this opportunity, please contact Bill Barry at bill.barry@nasa.gov.
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NASA’s Educator Professional Development Institute

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center is seeking proposals for participation the 2015 Educator Professional Development Institute. The institute will take place June 29-July 2, 2015, at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

The theme for this year’s workshop will be Engineering Enabling Science. The institute will focus on how engineering is infused within Goddard’s different science missions and how informal educators can incorporate these topics, concepts and content into experiences for their students and communities. Throughout the institute, participants will work toward developing an engineering unit focused on an underserved and underrepresented middle school-aged audience. The unit will be appropriate for use in their afterschool, museum, or informal learning setting.

Successful applicants will receive a $500 stipend to assist with travel, lodging and purchase of any additional materials. Limited space may be available for participants who wish to fund their participation and not receive a stipend. Successful applicants also will be provided with one NASA’s BEST (Beginning Engineering, Science, and Technology) engineering kit of materials to begin their programming after participation in the institute.

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center is seeking proposals for participation in NASA’s Network of Small and Medium Size Museums Workshop. The workshop will take place Aug. 19-21, 2015, at Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia.

The theme for this year’s workshop will be Engineering Enabling Science. The workshop will focus on how engineering is infused within Goddard’s different science divisions and suborbital science research and how museums can incorporate these topics, concepts, and missions into their programming, exhibits, and community.

Goddard will provide an honorarium of $2000 to each participating institution to establish a new exhibit, exhibit component or new program, or refresh an existing program that promotes Goddard’s unique content with a target audience of middle school students. In addition, those submitting successful proposals will receive a $500 stipend to assist with travel, lodging and daily per diem. Limited space may be available for participants who wish to fund their participation.

Free “What’s New in Aerospace?” Lecture Series at Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Curious about recent research, developments and discoveries related to space? Come to the Smithsonian’s “What’s New in Aerospace?” lecture series presented in collaboration with NASA. The lectures will be held at the Moving Beyond Earth Gallery at the National Air and Space Museum in the District of Columbia. Each hourlong lecture begins at 1 p.m. EDT and will be streamed live online.

Have you ever talked to an astronomer? To participate in an informal conversation with an astronomy researcher, join the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum for a series of Astronomy Chats. The researchers work at a variety of institutions, including the Smithsonian, NASA, Harvard University and the U.S. Naval Research Lab. If they cannot come in person, they join by video chat.

The conversation may be on any topic of interest to you. Visitors frequently ask questions like, “What’s an average day like for you?” or “What kind of telescopes have you used?”

The National Space Biomedical Research Institute, or NSBRI, is accepting fellowship applications for the First Award Fellowship Program. The one-year fellowships are available in any U.S. laboratory carrying out space-related biomedical or biotechnological research.

Applicants are required to submit proposals with the support of a mentor and an institution, and all proposals will be evaluated by a peer-review committee. Selected applicants receive a stipend, allowance for health insurance and travel funds for related scientific meetings.

This year’s applicants also can request to be considered to spend part of the fellowship in Russia, via a program involving NSBRI and the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow.

NSBRI, funded by NASA, is a consortia of institutions studying the health risks related to long-duration spaceflight and developing the medical technologies needed for long missions. The institute’s science, technology and education projects take place at more than 60 institutions across the United States.

For more information about NSBRI’s First Award Program, please visit http://www.nsbri.org/firstaward/.
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Free Tours of Facilities at NASA’s Glenn Research Center

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is offering tours that take visitors behind the scenes and inside certain research facilities. Glenn scientists and engineers serve as guides. Tours will be offered each month through October 2015. Tours are free of charge for groups and individuals on an advance reservation basis. Visitor parking is also available free of charge.

A tour bus departs from Glenn’s main gate every hour beginning at 10 a.m. The last tour departs at 1 p.m. Each tour lasts about 45 minutes and is followed by a stop at Glenn’s Gift Shop.

Glenn’s 2015 Tour Schedule

June 6, 2015 — Glenn’s Portal to the Space Station: Take a journey through the Telescience Support Center. This secure, multipurpose facility is designed to provide dedicated support for simultaneous training, simulations and real-time operations of space experiments on the International Space Station. Principal investigators, project scientists and payload operators can send commands and receive telemetry and science data from their payload hardware operating on board the station.

July 11, 2015 — Breeze by a Wind Tunnel: Tour the Abe Silverstein Supersonic Wind Tunnel. This facility has conducted supersonic propulsion testing on aircraft components such as inlets, nozzles and engines. It is ideally suited for launch vehicle tests and other fuel-burning applications.

Aug. 1, 2015 — See Things a Different Way: Check out Glenn’s Graphics and Visualization, or GVIS, and the Reconfigurable User-interface and Virtual Reality Exploration, or GRUVE, Laboratories. The GVIS Lab uses advanced computer input and output devices paired with a variety of natural user interface devices and 3-D displays. The GRUVE lab is used to analyze data obtained either by computer simulation or from research test facilities.

Sept. 12, 2015 — Go to the Extreme: Join us on a tour through Glenn’s Extreme Environments Rig, or GEER. As NASA ventures through the solar system and beyond, spacecraft will experience hostile environments of Venus and other planetary bodies. Temperatures can reach hundreds of degrees. Air pressure is crushing, and the toxic atmosphere is thick. GEER is designed to simulate those temperatures and pressure extremes and accurately reproduce the atmospheric compositions of bodies in the solar system. GEER is currently in its commissioning phase for operations simulating Venus’ surface temperature, pressure and chemistry.

Oct. 3, 2015 — Explore Locomotion on Planets: Come explore the Simulated Lunar Operations facility, which is home to a 60-foot-long, 20-foot-wide sandpit filled with simulated lunar soil and a lunar rover test bed. Other areas simulate Martian soil conditions. Research in this facility will help NASA develop the components of rovers capable of traveling long distances and investigating planetary surfaces during future human and robotic missions to keep NASA’s journey to Mars moving forward.

NASA is extending an opportunity to college and university teams to propose small spacecraft technology projects that they can conduct in collaboration with NASA researchers. The Smallsat Technology Partnerships solicitation is being issued by the Small Spacecraft Technology Program as an appendix to the Space Technology Mission Directorate’s NASA Research Announcement for 2015.

NASA expects to competitively select about eight projects from among those proposed by university teams, which can form proposal partnerships with researchers from any of NASA’s 10 field centers. Awards for each project will include up to $100,000 to each university team per year. In addition, NASA will fund the time for one NASA employee to work with each selected team. Project funding is for one year with the potential to continue for a second year.

Proposed projects could involve laboratory work to advance a particular spacecraft technology or the development of a new smallsat. NASA will be accepting proposals in four topic areas: 1) precise attitude control and pointing systems for cubesats, 2) power generation, energy storage and thermal management systems for small spacecraft, 3) simple low-cost deorbit systems, and 4) communications and tracking systems and networks.

Proposals are due June 8, 2015.

The appendix document is available through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System website at http://go.nasa.gov/1HsPKb7.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope’s release into space. The 2015 Exploring Space Lectures will feature world-class scholars discussing some of the most innovative scientific research conducted using Hubble and exploring the insights the telescope has uncovered about our universe. Presenters will also discuss the telescope’s serviceability, design, administration, execution, and place in history.

Hubble Telescope: Looking Back in Time at the Distant Universe
June 11, 2015, at 8 p.m. EDTOne of the Hubble Space Telescope’s greatest triumphs has been the clear view it has given of very distant galaxies. Astronomers Sandra Faber and Robert Williams will discuss how this clearer view has enabled astronomers to piece together the formation of structure in the universe.

The Hubble Space Telescope: The Agony and the Ecstasy
June 30, 2015, at 8 p.m. EDTThe Hubble Space Telescope is the most famous scientific instrument ever built, but its remarkable history has seen numerous ups and downs. Professor Robert Smith, author of the definitive history of the Hubble Space Telescope, will explore some of the most exciting and telling episodes in this rich history.

The lectures will be held at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in the District of Columbia, and attendance is free. However, tickets are required. Come early to see a free film and to meet the lecturer. The lectures will be webcast live for free viewing. Lecture videos will be archived.

NASA’s Office of Education is accepting new proposals under the Education Opportunities in NASA STEM, or EONS, 2014 NASA Research Announcement. Proposals are being solicited from Minority Serving Institutions, or MSIs, to create and implement a NASA MUREP Aerospace Academy to increase participation and retention of historically underserved and underrepresented K-12 youth in the areas of STEM.

NASA’s Office of Education Minority University Research and Education Project, or MUREP, is seeking proposals from Minority Serving Community Colleges to strengthen curriculum and curricular pathways in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, and attract, retain and support the success of underrepresented students in STEM degree programs.

Proposals for the NASA MUREP Community College Curriculum Improvement, or MC3I, solicitation must contain plans for and be guided by curricula improvements, and address one of the following as a primary focus: (1) improving curriculum in STEM vocational certificate programs, associate of arts/science degree programs, and/or transfer programs; (2) strengthening and diversifying the STEM pipeline through high school partnerships; or (3) expanding opportunities in engineering. Proposers are required to partner with a NASA center or facility, and are highly encouraged to partner with other institutions, such as K-12 school districts and four-year colleges/universities. Successful proposals will be funded as multiyear cooperative agreements.

Institutions planning to prepare a proposal package for NASA MC3I are required to submit a Notice of Intent, or NOIs, to propose. NOIs assist NASA in assessing the response to this cooperative agreement notice and to determine the expertise required for the proposal review panel. NOIs should be submitted by the authorized organization representative in the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, or NSPIRES, by April 14, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Interested proposers must register with NSPIRES before it can be accessed for use.

Since NOIs submitted after the deadline may still be useful to NASA, late NOIs may be submitted and will be accepted.

NASA Educator Professional Development Sessions at Essence Festival 2015

NASA Education will be offering a no-cost, exclusive series of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, educator professional development onsite workshops during the Essence Festival taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana, July 1-3, 2015.

NASA education specialists from around the country will present the workshops. Each 2.5-hour workshop session will focus on a specific NASA STEM education topic. Each session will integrate NASA missions, real-world data, lessons, activities and online resources that will enhance upper elementary and middle school curriculum with the excitement of aerospace exploration.

Workshops will be held at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, #1 Canal Street, in New Orleans. Registration will be limited to 30 educators of grades 4-8 for each session. Registration will close on June 12, 2015.

1 – 3:30 p.m. — Space Technology Drives ExplorationTechnology drives exploration. Sustained investments in NASA technology advance the agency’s capabilities in space exploration, science and aeronautics. NASA seeks to improve our ability to access and travel through space; land more mass in more locations throughout the solar system; live and work in deep space and on planetary bodies; build next-generation air vehicles; and transform the ability to observe the universe and answer profound questions in earth and space sciences. NASA’s technology supports the U.S. economy by generating tangible benefits for life on Earth. NASA is investing in the future of innovation.

Thursday, July 2, 20159 – 11:30 a.m. — Journey to MarsMars is a rich destination for scientific discovery, robotic exploration and human exploration as we expand our presence into the solar system. Its formation and evolution are comparable to Earth, helping us learn more about our own planet’s history and future. Mars had conditions suitable for life in its past. Future exploration could uncover evidence of life, answering one of the fundamental mysteries of the cosmos: Does life exist beyond Earth? Join us on the journey to Mars. Today our robotic scientific explorers are blazing the trail and will aid humans to pioneer the next giant leap in exploration.

1 – 3:30 p.m. — Aeronautics – Come Fly With UsNASA is with you when you fly. We’re committed to transforming aviation by reducing its environmental impact, maintaining safety, and revolutionizing aircraft shapes and propulsion. Thanks to advancements in aeronautics developed by NASA, today’s aviation industry is better equipped than ever to safely and efficiently transport all those passengers to their destinations. In fact, every U.S. aircraft flying today and every U.S. air traffic control tower uses NASA-developed technology in some way.

Friday, July 3, 20159 – 11:30 a.m. — Our Solar System and BeyondWe’re Out There. NASA’s exploration spans the universe — observing the sun and its effects on Earth, delving deep into our solar system, looking beyond to worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe. As its missions explore our solar system and search for new worlds, NASA is finding water in surprising places. Water is but one piece of our search for habitable planets and life beyond Earth, yet it links many seemingly unrelated worlds in surprising ways. Everywhere imaginable, NASA is out there.

1 – 3:30 p.m. — The International Space Station: Living and Working In SpaceThe International Space Station is a unique place — a convergence of science, technology and human innovation that demonstrates new technologies and makes research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. The space station remains the springboard to NASA’s next great leap in exploration, enabling research and technology developments that will benefit human and robotic exploration of destinations beyond low-Earth orbit, including asteroids and Mars. The station is the blueprint for global cooperation — one that enables a multinational partnership and advances shared goals in space exploration.

NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.

June 13-14, 2015 — South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South CarolinaCAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop for Current and Future Astronomy and Space Science Instructors

June 22-25, 2015 — American Center for Physics in College Park, MarylandNew Faculty Workshop for Physics and Astronomy

The Citizen science Asteroid Data, Education, and Tools, or CADET, is a joint solicitation of the Near Earth Objects Program within NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and the Asteroid Grand Challenge program within NASA’s Office of the Chief Technologist. CADET seeks innovative proposals to adapt, develop, and Web-enable software tools for asteroid data analysis. CADET seeks to make them accessible to and easily usable by nonprofessionals, including amateur astronomers, students and citizen scientists.

The CADET program has these specific goals:

— Through agile development and other innovative methods, adapt, further develop and Web-enable asteroid data analysis software to increase the productivity of Near Earth Objects Program and Asteroid Grand Challenge program research endeavors and extend the state-of-the practice in those endeavors
–Develop easily usable and understandable software tools through the application of human-centered design best practices, including user research studies, systematic usability testing, and evaluation
— Integrate advances in information technology with advances in cyber learning (i.e., what is known about how people learn with technology), and integrate these software tools into learning environments so their potential is fulfilled
— Foster multidisciplinary collaborations that span the NASA science, computer science, design and education disciplines.

Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 9 to the International Space Station

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education, in partnership with NanoRacks LLC, announce an authentic science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, opportunity for school districts across the U.S. and space station partner nations. The newest flight opportunity, Mission 9 to the International Space Station, or ISS, gives students across a community the ability to design and propose real experiments to fly in low-Earth orbit on the ISS. This opportunity is part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, or SSEP.

Each participating community will receive a real microgravity research minilaboratory capable of supporting a single microgravity experiment and all launch services to fly the minilab to the space station in spring 2016 and return it to Earth. An experiment design competition in each community — engaging typically 300+ students — allows student teams to design and propose real experiments vying for their community′s reserved minilab. Content resources for teachers and students support foundational instruction on science in microgravity and experimental design. Additional SSEP programming leverages the experiment design competition to engage the community, embracing a learning community model for STEM education.

This competition is open to students in grades 5-12 and college. Informal education groups and organizations are also encouraged to participate. The deadline for interested communities to inquire about the program has been extended to June 15, 2015. The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education is available to help interested communities in the U.S. secure the needed funding.

SSEP is enabled through a strategic partnership with NanoRacks LLC working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (http://www.iss-casis.org/) is a national partner on SSEP. To view a list of all SSEP national partners, visit http://ssep.ncesse.org/national-partners/.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email SSEP National Program Director Jeff Goldstein at jeffgoldstein@ncesse.org.

NASA invites eligible U.S. educational institutions, museums and other organizations to screen and request historical artifacts of significance to spaceflight. This is the 27th screening of artifacts since 2009.

Eligible schools, universities, museums, libraries and planetariums may view the artifacts and request specific items through June 15, 2015. Online registrations should include an assigned Department of Education number. Registration also may be made through the requester’s State Agency for Surplus Property office. For instructions, to register and to view and request artifacts online, visit http://gsaxcess.gov/NASAWel.htm.

The artifacts are free of charge and are offered “as-is.” Organizations must cover shipping costs and any handling fees. Shipping fees on smaller items will be relatively inexpensive; however, larger items may involve extensive disassembly, preparation, shipping and reassembly costs. NASA will work closely with eligible organizations to address any unique handling costs.

White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities — 2015 All-Star Students

The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities works to promote HBCU excellence, innovation and sustainability. The Initiative will recognize current HBCU students for their dedication to academics, leadership and civic engagement as 2015 HBCU All-Star Students.

The appointment period will last approximately one year. During this time, HBCU All-Stars will serve as ambassadors of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities by providing outreach opportunities and communications to their fellow students about the value of education and the Initiative as a networking resource. Through social media and personal and professional relationships with community-based organizations, students will share promising and proven practices that support opportunities for all young people to realize their educational and career potential. The program will provide an opportunity to participate in regional and national events as well as webchats with Initiative staff and other professionals from a wide range of disciplines that support a spirit of engagement and personal and professional development.

Nominees must be current undergraduate or graduate students at an HBCU. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 17, 2015.

The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, share the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.

Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures are also streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.

The next lecture in the series is:

On Sea Ice
Event Date: June 18 and June 19, 2015, at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2015&month=6
Join NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory senior research scientist Dr. Ron Kwok as he discusses the study of sea ice and draws on the perspective of his 25 years of involvement in this important, small-but-growing corner of Earth science. While the decline in Arctic sea ice coverage and the smaller opposing trend in the Southern Ocean have occupied the headlines, there are many processes that contribute to the character of ice cover.

The U.S. Department of Education is accepting proposals for the “First in the World” grant competition. The goal of this highly competitive program is to build evidence for what works in postsecondary education by testing the effectiveness of innovative strategies to improve student persistence and completion outcomes. The department will award grants in development and validation tiers.

Call for Abstracts: 31st American Society for Gravitational and Space Research Conference

A call for abstracts has been released for the 31st annual American Society for Gravitational and Space Research, or ASGSR, Conference taking place Nov. 11-14, 2015, in Alexandria, Virginia.

Applicants must submit abstracts electronically no later than July 1, 2015, using the abstract submittal form and instructions posted on the ASGSR website. All submitted abstracts will be peer-reviewed by the conference organizing committee.

All accepted abstracts from students will be presented as posters or orally in competitions. The student poster competition will be judged by society members, and monetary awards will be given during the banquet scheduled for Nov. 14, 2015. Students must be present at the banquet to receive the monetary award. Student competition winners will be encouraged to submit an extended abstract or a communication article to the ASGSR journal “Gravitational and Space Research.” All students should coordinate with their advisors when submitting an abstract for the conference.

Student travel assistance of up to $500 is available on a limited basis. Students requesting consideration for travel assistance should check the box on the abstract submittal form.

NASA and the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, known as America Makes, are holding a new $2.25 million competition to design and build a 3-D printed habitat for deep space exploration, including the agency’s journey to Mars. The multi-phase 3-D Printed Habitat Challenge, part of NASA’s Centennial Challenges program, is designed to advance the additive construction technology needed to create sustainable housing solutions for Earth and beyond.

The first phase of the competition, a design competition, calls on participants to develop state-of-the-art architectural concepts that take advantage of the unique capabilities 3-D printing offers. The top 30 submissions will be judged, and a prize purse of $50,000 will be awarded at the 2015 World Maker Faire in New York.

The deadline to submit a registration packet for the design competition phase is July 15, 2015.

The second phase of the competition is divided into two levels. The Structural Member Competition (Level 1) focuses on the fabrication technologies needed to manufacture structural components from a combination of indigenous materials and recyclables, or indigenous materials alone. The On-Site Habitat Competition (Level 2) challenges competitors to fabricate full-scale habitats using indigenous materials or indigenous materials combined with recyclables. Both levels open for registration Sept. 26, and each carries a $1.1 million prize.

NASA and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Foundation are challenging K-12 students to create a model of a container for space using 3-D modeling software. Astronauts need containers of all kinds — from advanced containers for studying fruit flies to simple containers for collecting Mars rocks or storing an astronaut’s food. The ability to 3-D print containers in space — on demand — will let humans venture farther into space. That’s why we are challenging students to start designing for space now.

Design entries could be for a container designed for microgravity on the International Space Station or a container designed for future astronauts on Mars! Space is a big place, but your imagination is even bigger. Multiple prizes, based on age groups, are available.

Entries must be submitted by Aug. 2, 2015.

The Design a Space Tool Challenge is the second in a series of challenges where students in grades K-12 create and submit a digital 3-D model of a container that they think astronauts might need in space. Future Engineers is a multiyear education initiative that consists of 3-D space challenges and curriculum videos that parents and educators can use to get kids designing today.

The workshop will focus on an introduction to global climate models exploring the subject of climate change in the same way that research scientists do. Simulations and activities for modeling regional and/or topical impacts of climate change will be shared with a goal of connecting educators and their students/audiences to the best-available, science-based information and resources about climate change.

Attendance is limited and availability will be on a first come, first serve basis, so register early. Participation is free, but attendees are responsible for arranging their own transportation, lodging and meals unless otherwise indicated in workshop details.

All attendees will receive a certificate acknowledging their participation in the workshop as well as the number of professional development hours they have engaged in.

Summer is upon us! What will you do with the extra sunlight and, hopefully, a little bit of extra time? At Space Place, we have you covered with new articles and activities.

What’s New? The Age of the Sun
We see it in the sky every day, but how much do we know about the sun? What about something basic, like its age? Find out the sun’s age, and just how it is that we know how old the sun is.http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/sun-age

What’s New? How Many Moons?
Go on a tour of our solar system and meet some of the most popular moons. Saturn has the most confirmed moons, but Jupiter has the biggest one, Ganymede. Do you know why Mercury doesn’t have any moons at all?http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/how-many-moons

For the Classroom
You can decorate your classroom with the official Space Place calendar for the 2015-2016 school year. It has beautiful images, NASA facts and trivia, and links to relevant content. Download individual months or the entire set today.http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/calendar

The Space Place Experiment Center
Space Place is introducing a new way to spice up your classroom or after-school activities — the “Space Place Experiment Center.” Loaded with two classic bean-sprout experiments, this Web app brings the excitement of the scientific method into the digital age with a framework for students to input observations and record daily changes — all online. How much water does a bean need to sprout? What happens if you try to grow a bean plant without light? Start your investigation today! http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/experiment

June 21: Summer Solstice and the First Day of Summer
Find out why we have seasons on Earth, and how it’s related to long and short days.http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/seasons

July 6: Aphelion — On this day, we are farther from the sun than on any other day of the year.Learn about the sun and Earth’s special relationship in our animated storybook, “Super Star Meets the Plucky Planet.”http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/story-superstar

Share
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Send FeedbackPlease let us know your ideas about ways to use The Space Place in your teaching. Send to info@spaceplace.nasa.gov.